January 2022
In Remembrance of Martin Luther King, Jr. and
In Memory of Our Dear Colleague Andrea Warren Hamos
“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Observing Martin Luther King, Jr. Day each January gives us a moment to pause and to remember that higher education is and can be a major vehicle for change and for realizing the promise of creating a more perfect union. As we enter this new year, we resolve to be ever mindful of MLK’s example and of the power of education to profoundly change lives. We are proud of the work we share with our institutional partners in pursuit of diversity, equity, and inclusion and our collective efforts to assure that the American experiment in democracy is sustained and its promises to its citizens realized.
As well, we would be remiss in not sharing our profound sense of loss with the passing of our dear friend and colleague Andrea Warren Hamos last Friday. Andrea spent the better part of her last decade serving higher education through the mission-based work of Academic Search and the American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI). Andrea was a champion for diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout her long career as a professor, administrator, and executive at the American Council on Education (ACE) and finally as a vice president at Academic Search. Andrea was a tremendous member of the Academic Search team. She loved her work; she loved her colleagues; and she loved working with prospective and experienced leaders. Our previous president, Jessica Kozloff, recruited Andrea to Academic Search at a critical juncture in the life of the organization and Andrea is owed much for the successes of the past decade. Andrea took immediately to this “good” work with a deep commitment to serving the larger cause of higher education. She was constantly connecting people to one another in ways that lifted countless lives and careers.

Andrea recently shared with one of our colleagues: It (the work) has been fulfilling and exciting. To work with such great people whose passion for the future of higher education is unparalleled has been a wonderful part of my life. I have been energized and uplifted. I’m grateful to have worked with so many talented people. The campuses and the people with whom we interact remind us every day of the importance of our mission and of the goodness there is in this world. Higher education as a mission, career, and ideal is rewarding and worthy. We make a difference.

We are all the better for having shared the journey with her. Andrea will be missed, but her professional and personal legacies will endure. So, in this month when we remember and celebrate Dr. King, all of us at Academic Search also mourn the loss of Andrea Warren Hamos. Andrea was one of those champions that gave Dr. King the faith that the arc of the moral universe can be bent toward justice. May it be so.
Academic Search Partnerships
In December 2021 and earlier this month, Academic Search served as a proud sponsor of four conferences:
The New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) 2021 Annual Meeting
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) 2021 Annual Conference: New Horizons for Higher Education
The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) 2022 Presidents Institute
The Association of American Law Schools (AALS) 2022 Annual Meeting
Podcast: Leaders on Leadership with Jay Lemons
Jay is joined by Dr. Ronald Rochon, President of the University of Southern Indiana. Dr. Rochon talks about the important attributes he thinks make for a good leader, including empathy, accessibility, and humility – all qualities he saw in his mentors. He also advises new leaders to make time to build their networks, listen widely and well across the campus community, and be patient with change.

Featured Appointments
Founding Director of the Center for Social Justice and Chief Diversity Officer
Excelsior College
President
Ohio Northern University
Senior Vice President for Advancement and
External Affairs
Iona College
Provost and Dean of the Faculty
Norwich University
Dean of the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration
California State University, San Bernardino
Director of Counseling and Psychological Services
Georgia Gwinnett College
Vice President for University Relations and Advancement
California State University, Northridge
Coordinator and Special Assistant to the President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Meredith College
Professor and Director of the School of Computing and Informatics
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Vice Provost
California State University Channel Islands
Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs
Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis
Director of the College of Engineering Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring and Research Center
New Mexico State University
Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs
Frostburg State University
Executive Vice President and Provost
University of Nevada, Reno
Vice President for
Academic Affairs
Medaille College
AALI Programs Accepting Nominations and Applications
The American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI) and Academic Search continue to seek applications for the March 2022 Mastering the Presidential Search Process. In addition, in partnership with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), AALI is currently accepting nominations and applications for the 2022-2023 cohorts of the Executive Leadership Academy; Becoming a Provost Academy; and Senior Leadership Academy. We invite you to learn more about these programs by clicking here.