By: J.D. Ross
(315) 443-3094
Ping Zhang, professor at the School of Information Studies (iSchool), has been named as a fellow of the American Council on Education (ACE) for the 2015-2016 academic year.
The announcement of this year’s fellowship appointments was made today in Washington, D.C., by Molly Corbett Broad, president of the ACE.
Zhang is among 47 emerging college and university leaders named to the ACE Fellows Program this year. Established in 1965, the program focuses on identifying and preparing the next generation of senior leaders for the nation's colleges and universities. It is the longest running leadership development program in the United States
“The ACE Fellows Program enters its second half-century committed to further growing and strengthening the nation's premier higher education leadership,” Broad said. “The diverse and talented 2015-16 Fellows class embodies why the program has been such a vital contributor to expanding the leadership pipeline for our colleges and universities.”
The program combines retreats, interactive learning opportunities, visits to college and university campuses, and placement at another higher education institution to condense years of on-the-job experience and skills development into a single year.
“I feel truly honored by the selection and am extremely excited for the opportunity that the Fellows Program affords,” said Zhang. “I hope to gain as much possible firsthand experience in all facets of a higher education institution.”
In addition to the broad learning and training, Zhang also plans to put extra focus on faculty development related matters.
During her placement, Zhang will observe and work closely with the president and other senior leadership at her host institution.
“I am so pleased that Ping has been selected to this year's class of ACE fellows,” said iSchool Interim Dean Jeff Stanton. “As a past fellowship participant myself, I can attest that the program is a powerful journey of growth and opportunity. The iSchool is proud of Ping for getting through the rigorous selection process, and we are looking forward to learning from her experiences during the program.”
Stanton was an ACE fellow for the 2012-2013 academic year, and was placed in the Office of the President at the State University of New York in Cortland.
Zhang has been at the iSchool since 1995. Her research interests include the intellectual development of information related fields; human-centeredness in information communications technology (ICT) development, evaluation and use; affective, cognitive, motivational and behavioral aspects of individual reactions towards ICT; and the impact of ICT design and use on individuals, organizations, societies and cultures. She was the founding co-editor-in-chief of AIS Transactions on Human-Computer Interaction (AIS THCI), and former senior editor of the Journal of the Association for Information Systems (JAIS).
Zhang was nominated for the fellowship by previous Vice Chancellor and Provost Eric Spina.