The Johnson C. Smith University community congratulates Dr. Valerie Kinloch, 15th President of JCSU. The Aspen Institute announced today that President Kinloch has been named a 2025 Aspen Ascend Fellow, a prestigious fellowship and honor.
“To be named an Aspen Ascend Fellow is really, really important at this point, because we are engaging in some serious transformation work at the University,” Dr. Kinloch said.
According to the Aspen Institute, Dr. Kinloch “joins 20 dynamic leaders from across the United States joining a national network of Ascend Fellows who are pursuing prosperity and well-being for children and families. From local and state government to postsecondary institutions to hospitals, these Fellows represent a broad cross-sector of leaders and innovators united by one vision: helping families build stronger, more secure futures.”
As an Aspen Ascend Fellow, President Kinloch will address critical issues important to HBCUs, and especially to JCSU, on a global landscape: “My project is focused on driving forward a vision for Johnson C. Smith University to be an anchor institution with local, national, and global alliances. It is important to create sustainable multisectoral partnerships with industry, non-profit organizations, social service agencies, families, children, communities, and others if we are to really understand ways to provide educational opportunities grounded in collaboration, focused on accessibility, and committed to equity in education. Truly, I am excited about this fellowship,” she said.
The Aspen Institute selected an internationally recognized cohort of new Fellows representing 14 states and the District of Columbia, with the goal of capturing the nation’s diversity of backgrounds and perspectives. Together the new Fellows will become change-agents, solving the greatest challenges families face today. The Aspen Institute shared the vision in a statement: “As families navigate the rising costs of everyday life and prepare for a workforce shaped by rapid technological change, these changemakers are bringing bold solutions to the communities where they live, work, and play.”
For President Kinloch, a celebrated executive leader and author of at least nine books, the personal opportunity has a global reward. “I believe in supporting others’ professional development and growth, and I am excited that my own professional development is being supported through participation in this fellowship cohort for the next couple of years.”
The Aspen Institute will allow distinguished Fellows like Dr. Kinloch the opportunity to think big while stepping boldly into a solutions-driven colloquium focused on community. “These 20 leaders have bold ideas that are ready for a quantum leap not just individually, but as a collective. Our country and communities are hungry for leaders like them, ones they can trust and who offer – and deliver – innovative solutions and a path forward,” said Anne Mosle, vice president of the Aspen Institute and founder and executive director of Ascend.
The Ascend Fellowship is home to a national community of more than 180 of the most promising leaders. As a 2025 Aspen Ascend Fellow, Dr. Kinloch joins the ranks of these problem-solving visionaries. She lives by example, reminding the JCSU community of students, faculty, staff and alumni: Go Here, Glow Anywhere. According to President Kinloch, “It is going to hopefully transform how we think about Johnson C. Smith University as a hub of excellence.”
Congratulations, Dr. Kinloch, 2025 Aspen Ascend Fellow!
