President and Founder,
Institute for Higher Education Policy
Nominated By: Jacqueline Skinner Jackson
A champion of the idea that higher education reaps rich rewards for both society and individuals, Jamie Merisotis has focused much of his work on improving access to higher education for low-income, minority, and other underrepresented populations. This commitment to equality of opportunity was a major factor in the establishment of the Alliance for Equity in Higher Education, an unprecedented coalition of national associations that represent more than 340 minority-serving colleges and universities, including historically Black colleges and universities, American Indian tribal colleges, and Hispanic-serving institutions.