Professor Beth Gill Named to ACE Fellows Program

Sociology Professor Beth Gill

3/20/13

Randolph-Macon College Professor Elizabeth “Beth” Gill, the Charles J. Potts Professor of Sociology, has been named to The American Council on Education (ACE) Fellows Program. ACE, which made the announcement on March 19, 2013, selected 50 college and university senior faculty and administrators for the 2013-14 class of the Fellows Program.

ACE is the nation’s most visible and influential higher education association. It represent the presidents of U.S. accredited, degree-granting institutions, which include two- and four-year colleges, private and public universities, and nonprofit and for-profit entities. Established in 1965, the ACE Fellows Program—the longest-running leadership development program in the United States—focuses on identifying and preparing senior leadership for the nation’s colleges and universities.

“The 2013-14 class of Fellows is a talented, diverse group,” says Margarita Benítez, interim director of ACE’s Emerging Leaders Group and the ACE Fellows Program. “The ACE Fellows Program will strengthen their leadership skills, expand their networks and prepare them to tackle the wide array of issues facing the higher education community.”

“Professor Gill’s teaching, scholarship and service are a testimony to her dedication to her profession, her students, and the community,” says R-MC President Robert R. Lindgren. “Her commitment benefits students and colleagues fortunate to work alongside her, and it also has a global reach. Ask any of the students who have traveled with her to Guatemala to build houses for those in need, and you’ll hear the same thing: Professor Gill’s work is inspired and inspiring. She is the epitome of a leader, and I join the R-MC community in congratulating her on this well-deserved appointment.”

“I am honored to be named an ACE fellow,” says Gill. “My past service as acting associate dean of the college and chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, as well as my service to numerous college and ad-hoc committees, has been enormously fulfilling and has inspired me to grow as a leader. I am grateful to Randolph-Macon College for its support and encouragement. I look forward to the opportunities provided by ACE and to returning to R-MC with skills that may help to advance the college as a whole.”

The ACE Fellows Program combines retreats, interactive learning opportunities, campus visits and placement at another higher education institution to condense years of on-the-job experience and skills development into a single year. Fellows also conduct projects that will contribute to the institutional capacity of their home campuses, and they engage in other leadership and management activities to enhance their knowledge about the challenges and opportunities confronting higher education.

Nearly 2,000 higher education leaders have participated in the ACE Fellows Program since its inception, with more than 300 Fellows having served as chief executive officers of colleges or universities and more than 1,300 having served as provosts, vice presidents and deans.

Gill earned her B.A. from Trinity University, her M.A. from Yale University and her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.