MINERVA UNIVERSITY NAMES EDUCATION TRAILBLAZER MIKE MAGEE AS ITS NEW PRESIDENT

Magee Succeeds Founding President Teri Cannon as Innovative University Seeks to Expand Access for Global and Socio-economically Diverse Students Through Strategic Growth

SAN FRANCISCO, April 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Minerva University, an independent, accredited educational institution that is transforming higher education through innovative academic and experiential learning methodologies, has named Mike Magee, an education trailblazer, as its new President, as the University seeks to expand access for global and socio-economically diverse students through strategic growth.

Magee succeeds Founding President Teri Cannon, who will remain with the University in an advisory capacity. Since joining Minerva in 2012, she has been instrumental in the development of Minerva's student affairs, accreditation, services and operations.

Most recently the CEO of education non-profit Chiefs for Change, Magee created the nation's premier leadership development program for aspiring K-12 leaders, an acclaimed effort that has had a monumental impact on leadership diversity in public education. Prior to that, he served as the Co-founder and CEO of the Rhode Island Mayoral Academies where he built a statewide network of regional, racially and economically integrated public schools. A graduate of Holy Cross University with a PhD in English from the University of Pennsylvania, Mike began his distinguished career in education as a university professor.

"Serving as Minerva's Founding President has been an honor of a lifetime for me – to have had a front row seat to introducing a new model for learning that views education as a crucial factor in addressing myriad complex challenges, and to see our students grow, thrive and enter the world empowered to be difference makers," said Cannon. "As we look to build on our remarkable progress and expand access to our program to enable more thinkers, leaders and innovators to drive positive societal change, we are extremely fortunate to have found in Mike precisely the right leader at precisely the right time.

"His personal and professional journeys have been guided by a clear sense of purpose, a passion for breaking barriers and erasing boundaries, and solving seemingly intractable problems through bold and creative approaches," she added. "To say he is uniquely qualified for this role is an understatement."

"A thrilling, decades-long voyage has brought Minerva to this extraordinary point, success that in large measure is attributable to Teri's outstanding work, unwavering commitment to advancing our mission and thoughtful planning to ensure a smooth and seamless leadership transition," said Senator Bob Kerrey, Chairman of Minerva University's Board of Trustees. "The Board is fully confident that Mike is the right person to lead us into the next chapter of our journey. He has been a highly successful and transformative leader in education, is deeply committed to our vision and will be instrumental in shaping our strategic plans for growth and development."

"I am deeply honored for the opportunity to help lead Minerva University into the future at a time when its mission is undeniably essential and the stakes could not be higher," said Magee. "A common thread across many of the world's challenges is an utter failure to understand each other and to cooperate, as true problem-solvers, across national boundaries and our various identities. And yet when I think of Minerva students I brim with hope, for they are our future leaders, in governments, businesses, non-profit organizations and movements around the world. They are learning with us what will be required to effect change and I am confident the world will be better, more harmonious and safer in their hands."

Minerva University is the most selective yet financially accessible education for students from around the world. While its admission rate hovers around 1%, its tuition is a third that of other American universities and 78% of Minerva's undergraduate students (85% of whom are from outside the US) need financial support. This makes Minerva the most socio-economically and globally diverse university in the world. The University's pathbreaking curriculum engages, inspires, and imbues each student with the intellectual and interpersonal skills to excel in life as demonstrated by the over 400 Minerva alumni who are already making an outsized impact on the world across various sectors.

Minerva University's Board of Trustees is chaired by Senator Bob Kerrey and includes ten other prominent leaders in education and business. As Minerva University's founder, benefactor, visionary, and leader, Ben Nelson continues to share his guidance as Minerva University's Chancellor and a member of the Board of Trustees.

About Minerva University
Minerva University offers a reinvented university experience for the brightest, most motivated students from around the world. Minerva's undergraduate offering combines a pathbreaking cross-contextual interdisciplinary curriculum, the highest academic standards, an accomplished faculty versed in the science of learning, a global, urban residential experience that traverses seven countries, and a cutting-edge digital learning environment that produces deep and long lasting learning. Minerva University was granted accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges/Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). The groundbreaking creation of Minerva is detailed in the book Building the Intentional University: Minerva and the Future of Higher Education (MIT Press.)

For media enquiries, contact:
Junko Green
Minerva University
[email protected]

SOURCE Minerva University