Education 2023: KARL McDONNELL
McDonnell is CEO of Strategic Education, an education services holding company that owns for-profit Strayer and Capella universities, the Jack Welch Management Institute and nondegree schools DevMountain, Hackbright Academy and Sophia Learning. Strategic Education was formed in 2018 by the $2 billion merger of Strayer Education and Capella Education. McDonnell was previously president and CEO [&he[...]
Education 2023: MAKOLA M. ABDULLAH
Abdullah received the ultimate show of support from VSU in 2022, when he signed a multimillion-dollar deal to stay on as president through 2029. The public historically Black university was struggling financially when Abdullah arrived in 2016, but he has since righted the ship, leading the school to a budget surplus. VSU was ranked No. […]
September 2023 Virginia 500 Spotlight: DONNA PRICE HENRY
FIRST JOB: I worked at a Dairy Queen during the summers while I was in high school. FAVORITE APP: Apple Fitness, except when it tells me that I’m behind in meeting my goals for the day HOW I BALANCE WORK AND PERSONAL LIFE: Some days, I am better at this than others. In my role […]
Education 2023: JONATHAN R. ALGER
Alger, who joined JMU in 2012, has led the public university to new heights. In the past two years, the university received R2 research classification from the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, joined the Sun Belt Conference and the FBS level in NCAA Division I football, and saw the graduation of the first cohort from […]
Education 2023: KEVIN F. HALLOCK
Hallock, who joined UR as its president in 2021, launched a new strategic plan for the private university this year that includes more faculty, increased and simplified financial aid and greater community involvement. In March, UR announced a $25 million gift — the second largest in the university’s history — from alumni and longtime donors […]
Education 2023: AIMEE ROGSTAD GUIDERA
A proponent of charter schools who ran an education consultancy and a nonprofit organization that compiles national education data, Guidera was the first secretary appointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who campaigned on parental rights in public education. Guidera is responsible for leading the state’s public schools and has significant influence on its postsecondary institutions, including [&he[...]
Top of the class
In April, David Doré started his new job as Virginia Community College System chancellor, stepping into the shoes of the retired Glenn DuBois, who held the position for 21 years. A Pennsylvania native who once considered becoming a Jesuit priest, Doré is a former high school teacher who once took his students to meet PBS […]
Virginia MOCA moving to Virginia Wesleyan campus
The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art is moving from Virginia Beach’s ViBe District to Virginia Wesleyan University’s campus, with the aid of a $25 million gift, the museum and university said Tuesday in announcing the partnership. The gift, from Jane Batten, Joan Brock and David and Susan Goode, will fund construction of the museum’s new […]
U.Va. Wise launches master’s degree in education
Like the rest of the country, Virginia’s public schools are suffering from a teacher shortage. In the 2022-23 academic year, there were 3,573 vacancies statewide, and more teachers are working with only provisional licenses, which don’t require teacher preparation courses. In Southwest Virginia, though, educators are signing up for a master’s degree in education that […]
TCC expands Skilled Trades Academy
Tidewater Community College has kicked off the expansion of its Skilled Trades Academy, adding more space and more courses to its Portsmouth facility. The academy opened in 2019 with 20,000 square feet of space, and currently has three classrooms at 3303 Airline Blvd., which is enough room to hold three to six courses at a […]
Small yet mighty
Way back when, Roanoke was a train city — the headquarters for Norfolk and Western Railway and a late-1800s hub for the Shenandoah Valley Railroad. The scenic mountain community, however, has grown into a bustling region with a variety of successful industries, including one standout: health care. With the formation of Virginia Tech Carilion School […]
Va. Tech names SVP for advancement
Virginia Tech has promoted Charlie Phlegar to senior vice president for advancement, the university announced Thursday. Phlegar has led efforts in fundraising, alumni relations, communications and marketing since 2015. Under his leadership, Tech’s advancement division has secured record amounts of new gifts and commitments, including $268.5 million in fiscal year 2021-2022. Undergraduate giv[...]