SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Minerva Institute for Research and Scholarship today announced that Stacey Childress and Michael Horn have been appointed to the organization's board of directors. The Minerva Institute for Research and Scholarship, led by Executive Chairman Bob Kerrey, is a non-profit committed to making quality education accessible to qualified students, facilitating the administration of grant-funded research, and advocating for broad reform in higher education. 

"A top priority for the Minerva Institute is to raise funds for scholarships to provide global students most deserving of a quality education with the financial assistance to make access a reality," said Bob Kerrey, executive chairman of the Minerva Institute for Research and Scholarship. "Additionally, the Institute is committed to supporting faculty by providing an infrastructure to administer grants while ensuring faculty retain intellectual property. Lastly, but equally important, we will be furthering the dialog around innovations in higher education. Stacey and Michael's relevant experiences, unique insights and thoughtful leadership will be valuable to the work of the Minerva Institute as we progress with our mission."

Stacey Childress is a highly regarded leader in ed-tech philanthropy and entrepreneurial activity. She is the CEO at NewSchools Venture Fund where she leads the venture philanthropy's support of innovation in K-12 education. Prior to joining NewSchools Venture earlier this year, Childress spent four years at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation where she led the K-12 Next Generation Learning team, supporting nearly 200 ed-tech and school entrepreneurs. Prior to joining the foundation, Childress was on the faculty of the Harvard Business School where she wrote and taught about entrepreneurial activity in public education in the United States. In 2012, Forbes placed Childress on its Impact 15 list, a group of innovators revolutionizing education globally. She is a graduate of Baylor University and Harvard Business School.

Michael Horn is a leading voice advocating for the use of technology in education to benefit all students. He is an award-winning author, speaker and the co-founder of the Clayton Christensen Institute where he serves as the executive director of its education program. He leads a team that educates policymakers and community leaders on the power of disruptive innovation in the K-12 and higher education spheres through its research. He is the coauthor of the recently published Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools, and in 2008, Horn co-authored the award-winning Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns with Harvard Business School Professor Clayton M. Christensen and Curtis W. Johnson. Newsweek cited the book 14th on its list of "Fifty Books for Our Times." Horn has also written articles for numerous publications including Forbes, The Washington Post, and The Economist. He holds a BA in history from Yale University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

About The Minerva Institute
The Minerva Institute for Research and Scholarship, led by Executive Chairman Bob Kerrey, is a non-profit committed to making quality education accessible to qualified students, facilitating the administration of grant-funded research, and advocating for broad reform in higher education. By offering a variety of scholarship and loan programs, providing a mechanism for more efficient and effect grant administration for research, and recognizing thought leadership in higher education through the Minerva Academy and Prize, the Minerva Institute is dedicated to solutions that will improve higher education on a global scale. The Minerva Institute houses the Minerva Academy, an honorary institution dedicated to promoting and rewarding extraordinary advancements and innovation in higher education teaching around the world. Nobel Laureate Dr. Roger Kornberg leads the Minerva Academy. www.minervainstitute.info

SOURCE Minerva Institute for Research and Scholarship

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