Suzanne Elise Walsh became the nineteenth president of Bennett College in 2019. She was most recently deputy director of postsecondary success for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, developing a portfolio of over $70 million in postsecondary investments in institutional transformation in the United States. She previously served in leadership roles with the Lumina Foundation for Education and The Heinz Endowments.
Ms. Walsh has received national recognition for her work with organizations at the intersection of innovation, technology and learning. Education leaders with whom she has consulted praise her ability to create and work with cross-functional teams as a key driver in affecting flexible, personalized and affordable approaches to higher education, and others have expressed their appreciation for her work on several viability and sustainability initiatives at HBCUs.
Ms. Walsh has been a frequent speaker and workshop leader at conferences such as the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities, the American Association of Colleges and Universities, and the Global Learning Council, of which she is an active member. She has published or edited several books and journal articles on the topic of educational transformation, and is the recipient of numerous awards, honors and fellowships.
Education
J.D.; M.A. (Social Work) | Case Western Reserve University
B.A. (Social Work) | Cornell University