Florida Poly president receives national award for lifetime leadership in higher ed

LAKELAND, Fla., Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Devin Stephenson, Florida Polytechnic University president, has been awarded the Lifetime Leadership Award by Higher Education Innovation (HEI), a national entity dedicated to advancing innovation and success in higher education.

The annual award recognizes an individual with over 25 years of exemplary service in higher education leadership and highlights their significant contributions to the field and to society.

"It's an incredible honor to receive this recognition from HEI. Throughout my career, I've been fortunate to work with outstanding teams at institutions that share my passion for education and innovation," Stephenson said. "This award reaffirms my belief in the power of bold leadership to create a better future for students, and I'm excited to continue this work at Florida Poly."

Recipients of HEI's Lifetime Leadership Award are chosen based on a comprehensive set of criteria, which includes their unselfish dedication to advancing others, their encouragement of entrepreneurial thinking and innovation, and their consistent display of integrity, honesty, and humility.

Dr. Mary Landon Darden, president of HEI, said Stephenson was selected for his exceptional leadership throughout his long career in higher education and praised the remarkable impact he's had at the institutions he has overseen.

"Dr. Devin Stephenson meets all the criteria for the Lifetime Leadership Award and does so in many exceptional ways," Darden said. "He is an outstanding example of the type of innovative, transformational, and entrepreneurial leader that we need at the helm of our higher education institutions today and into the future."

Beyond this award, Stephenson's visionary leadership also earned him a place on the prestigious Florida 500 list published by Florida Trend magazine, which honors the state's most influential executives across diverse economic sectors.

Prior to joining Florida Poly in July 2024, Stephenson served for seven years as president of Northwest Florida State College, where he led transformative initiatives in academic programming, fundraising, and institutional growth.

Since taking the helm at Florida Poly, he has set bold goals to elevate the University's position as a leader in STEM education and research. These include doubling student enrollment, expanding academic offerings to encompass more STEM-related fields, strengthening industry partnerships, and ongoing advancement of campus infrastructure development.

SOURCE Florida Polytechnic University