ETSU professor earns elite fellowship

The American Council on Education (ACE), the major coordinating body for the nation’s colleges and universities, has named East Tennessee State University’s Dr. Daryl A. Carter an ACE fellow.

The appointment for the 2024-25 academic year is a tremendous achievement. Only a few dozen – 26 this year – are selected following a competitive process that features senior administrators from colleges and universities across the United States.

“I am excited and humbled by the confidence Dr. Noland and the American Council on Education have placed in me. This fellowship will present me with vast opportunities to sharpen my existing skills, build new skills and learn best practices regarding academic and institutional leadership,” said Carter, professor of history, associate dean for community relations and outreach and director of the Black American Studies Program. “Further, I am so grateful to have this opportunity to collaborate with and learn from some of the best minds in American higher education. The ACE Fellowship will give me important experiences that I will rely on to support the mission that is so dear to my heart: helping students to blaze new paths and achieve their dreams.”

Since its inception in 1965, the ACE Fellows Program has strengthened institutions in American higher education by identifying and preparing over 2,500 faculty, staff and administrators for senior positions in college and university leadership through its distinctive and intensive cohort-based mentorship model. More than 80% of the Fellows who have participated have gone on after their fellowship to serve as chief executive officers, chief academic officers, other cabinet-level positions and deans.

“The ACE Fellows Program, known for its history of success, cultivates skilled and promising leaders, driving the growth of a diverse and talented higher education leadership pipeline,” said ACE President Ted Mitchell. “Through immersive learning experiences, ACE Fellows acquire fresh perspectives and develop distinctive skills to apply upon their return to their home campuses. I am excited to witness the accomplishments of this class."

The program incorporates signature features such as retreats, interactive and virtual learning opportunities, visits to campuses and other higher education-related organizations and placement at another higher education institution. All these experiences are condensed into a single year, providing the fellows with years of on-the-job experience and skills development

During the placement, fellows observe and work with senior officers at their host institutions, attend decision-making meetings and focus on issues of interest that will benefit their host and nominating institutions. The year ahead will offer many opportunities for ACE fellows to view leadership in action. Placement institutions will benefit from having an experienced leader who can lend a fresh perspective to emerging or ongoing institutional challenges.

“The ACE Fellows Program is the longest-running leadership development program in the United States,” said ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland. “Dr. Carter has not only demonstrated the highest level of expertise as a researcher and scholar but also has shown himself to be a passionate, thoughtful and effective leader on both our campus and in the community. I am incredibly proud of his work at ETSU and am thrilled that he will be part of this highly prestigious program.” 

At the conclusion of the fellowship year, fellows return to their home institutions with new knowledge and skills that contribute to capacity-building efforts, along with a network of peers across the country and abroad. 

Carter is one of the many ETSU professors producing premier scholarships, winning competitive grants and earning respected fellowships. 

“We are excited and proud that Dr. Carter has this amazing opportunity to become an ACE fellow and to collaborate with other higher education leaders in our nation,” said Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs. “As a historian, community leader and administrator, Dr. Carter is a valued leader at ETSU and will contribute meaningfully to this program.”

As a historian, Carter is an established expert in 20th and 21st century American political history. In 2016, he wrote the well-received book, “Brother Bill: President Clinton and the Politics of Race and Class.” The Tennessee Historical Society tabbed him for a board of directors’ post, and he is a past chair of Humanities Tennessee. Carter is also a member of the Johnson City Public Library. Carter earned his B.S. and M.A. degrees from ETSU and his Ph.D. in history from The University of Memphis in 2011.