Champions of Community College Leadership
Dear Diverse Readers:
In this edition of Diverse, we celebrate the exceptional leadership that continues to transform America's community colleges into engines of opportunity and social mobility. At the forefront of this transformation stands Dr. Karen A. Stout, recipient of the 2025 Diverse Champions Award, whose remarkable career spans over four decades of unwavering commitment to student success at community colleges.
As Lois Elfman eloquently chronicles in our cover story, Stout's approach combines visionary leadership with data-driven strategies that have revolutionized how community colleges serve their students and communities. Since 2015, as president and CEO of Achieving the Dream (ATD), she has guided a network of more than 300 community colleges toward becoming "accessible hubs of learning, credentialing, and economic mobility that eliminate inequities in educational and workforce outcomes."
What particularly struck me in Elfman's profile is Stout's early recognition of community colleges' transformative potential. Her data-informed approach began in her first position at Harford Community College, where she pioneered innovative methods to understand student demographics and community needs. As Dr. Steady H. Moono, president of SUNY Schenectady County Community College, remarks in the article, Dr. Stout is "the most brilliant, the most visionary, the most forward-thinking person" he has encountered in decades of community college leadership.
Dr. Stout's well-deserved recognition follows last year's Diverse Champions Award recipient, Dr. Keith Curry, continuing our celebration of leaders who transform institutions and communities through their vision and dedication.
This issue also explores other dimensions of community college leadership. Dr. David M. Johnson, president of Merritt College in California shares "The ABCs of Community College Leadership", offering essential principles for current and aspiring leaders.
Community colleges are responding to evolving student needs in innovative ways. Arianna Morrison examines how these institutions are adapting to better serve neurodivergent student populations. Meanwhile, my own investigation into Tidewater Community College's groundbreaking partnerships with Portsmouth and Norfolk highlights how workforce development initiatives are creating new pathways to economic opportunity.
The expansion of community colleges' educational offerings continues to evolve. We report on the growing movement to expand four-year degree offerings at these institutions. This development represents a significant shift in how community colleges envision their role in higher education accessibility.
This issue also celebrates Dr. Sylvester James Gates, Jr., recipient of the 2025 Dr. John Hope Franklin Award presented by Diverse. As Jamaal Abdul-Alim details in his profile, Gates has made extraordinary contributions to theoretical physics through his pioneering work in supersymmetry, while maintaining a profound commitment to education. Despite receiving the National Medal of Science from President Obama, Gates remains remarkably humble, describing himself as "a simple, fallen mathematician, country theoretical physicist who simply digs mathematical ditches." His journey from an all-Black high school in Orlando, Florida to becoming a world-renowned physicist challenges persistent myths about educational pathways and opens doors for future generations of scientists from underrepresented communities.
Dr. Stout's well-deserved recognition follows last year's Diverse Champions Award recipient, Dr. Keith Curry, continuing our celebration of leaders who transform institutions and communities through their vision and dedication.
As we face uncertain times in higher education, the innovative, data-informed, and community-centered leadership exemplified by Stout offers a compelling model for the future of community colleges. Her work reminds us that these institutions remain vital centers of opportunity, particularly for underserved populations.
I hope this issue inspires you as much as these remarkable leaders have inspired me.
Yours in Progress,Â
Jamal Watson, Ph.D.
Executive Editor
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