Lisa Di Bartolomeo, a professor in the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Linguistics and senior adviser in the Office of Global Affairs, has been named a Fellow for the 2018-2019 academic year by the American Council on Education.
Established in 1965, the ACE Fellows Program is designed to strengthen institutions and leadership in American higher education by identifying and preparing faculty and staff for senior positions in college and university administration through its distinctive and intensive nominator-driven, cohort-based mentorship model. Di Bartolomeo is one of 45 fellows selected nationally this year after nomination by senior administration.
“An ACE Fellowship recognizes Dr. Di Bartolomeo’s distinction as an emerging leader in higher education. At WVU, she is already an engaged campus leader, an award-winning teacher and a campus citizen who combines vision and energy to truly make things happen,” said Provost Joyce McConnell. “Through this fellowship, she will have an opportunity to join previous fellows who have gone on to become higher education leaders.”
Di Bartolomeo came to WVU in 2005 to re-build the Russian Studies program, which she now coordinates, along with the Slavic and Eastern European Studies program. She is the Armand E. and Mary W. Singer Professor in the Humanities, teaching courses on Polish cinema, Holocaust literature and film and folklore & fairy tales. She also supervises several study-abroad programs across Eastern Europe.
“I'm excited to get to work with national leaders in the field of higher education and to get to know the other ACE Fellows in my cohort,” said Di Bartolomeo. “I truly appreciate the support that WVU has shown me in this process, especially President Gee and Provost McConnell. I look forward to learning how other campus leaders deal with the challenges facing higher education and to developing new solutions to ensure that a college education has strong advocates who recognize its vital importance to our country and our world.”
As an ACE Fellow, Di Bartolomeo will participate in retreats, interactive learning opportunities and campus and organization visits. She will also be placed directly at another higher education institution to condense years of on-the-job experience and skill-development into a single year.
During her placement, she will observe and work with the host institution’s senior officers, attend decision-making meetings, focus on issues of interest and execute projects on matters of pressing concern to the host institution.
At the conclusion of the fellowship year, Fellows return to their home institution with new knowledge and skills that contribute to capacity-building efforts, along with a network of peers across the country and abroad.
Celebrating its centennial in 2018, ACE is the major coordinating body for all the nation's higher education institutions, representing nearly 1,800 college and university presidents and related associations. It provides leadership on key higher education issues and influences public policy through advocacy.
