Bridget Burns, chief of staff for the Oregon University System, has been named a fellow of the American Council on Education for the 2013-14 academic year.

The ACE Fellows Program, established in 1965, is intended to strengthen institutions and leadership in U.S. higher education by identifying and preparing promising senior faculty and administrators for positions in college and university administration.

A total of 50 fellows, nominated by the presidents or chancellors of their institutions, were selected this year.

Margarita Benítez, interim director of ACE’s Emerging Leaders Group and the ACE Fellows Program, said most previous fellows have advanced into major positions in academic administration.

Nearly 2,000 higher education leaders have participated in the ACE Fellows Program since its inception. More than 300 fellows have served as chief executive officers of colleges or universities, and more than 1,300 have served as provosts, vice presidents or deans.

“The 2013-14 class of fellows is a talented, diverse group,” Benítez said. “The ACE Fellows Program will strengthen their leadership skills, expand their networks and prepare them to tackle the wide array of issues facing the higher education community.”

Burns currently leads federal and state government relations on behalf of the Oregon University System, and serves as a policy advisor to the State Board of Higher Education and chancellor.

The ACE Fellows Program combines retreats, interactive learning opportunities, campus visits and placement at other higher education institutions to condense years of on-the-job experience and skills development into a single semester or year.

As an ACE Fellow, Burns will focus on issues of concern to the Oregon University System while spending the next academic year working with a college or university president and other senior officers at a host institution.

The American Council on Education was founded in 1918 and serves as a coordinating body for higher education institutions, representing more than 1,600 U.S. college and university presidents, and more than 200 related associations. It provides leadership on higher education issues and influences public policy through advocacy.

- from the Oregon University System