ACE Trustee Dr. Walter Bumphus Receives Diversity Leadership Award

Honored for continuous commitment to promoting diversity in higher education

This award is presented annually to an individual who has demonstrated continuous commitment to promoting diversity within higher education.

Currently the president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges, Dr. Bumphus joined American College of Education’s board of trustees earlier this year, providing the college with guidance from his extensive career within higher education. He has served as a teacher, leader and president of several different community colleges and college systems.

Throughout his career, Dr. Bumphus has made student success a priority, with an emphasis on students from underserved groups. He is a champion of seeing community colleges as more than a place for education, urging others in the industry to reimagine them as a place of collaboration and empowerment. He recently turned AACC’s focus on equity through Unfinished Business, an initiative that aims to identify and address achievement gaps, from cultural sensitivity in the classroom to ensuring there are living-wage jobs for students when they graduate.

Dr. Bumphus’ leadership and expertise have been recognized both inside and outside the higher education industry. He has served on several White House commissions across multiple presidential administrations and is currently a member of the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, which is tasked with creating a comprehensive national workforce strategy.