The nation’s largest consortium of colleges and universities has tapped one of Keuka College’s top administrators for inclusion in its prestigious fellowship program.
The American Council on Education (ACE) has announced that Keuka College Associate Provost Dr. Tim Sellers has been named an ACE Fellow for the 2021-22 academic year. Dr. Sellers was one of 38 Fellows selected this year from among hundreds of nominees nationwide.
“It’s truly an honor to be included in a program as extensive and transformational as the ACE Fellows,” said Dr. Sellers, who is also a professor of Biology and Environmental Sciences at the College. “And especially now, with the many new challenges colleges are being forced to navigate, the experiences and training afforded by the fellowship will prove extremely valuable.”
Dr. Sellers is the founder and director of the Center for Aquatic Research at Keuka College and a science advisor for the Keuka Lake Association. He earned a B.A. in Environmental Science from the University of Colorado, and an M.S. in Biology and a Ph.D. in Environmental Biology from the University of Louisville. He was also a post-doctoral fellow in Oceanography at Texas A&M University. Dr. Sellers joined Keuka College in 2002 and has conducted aquatic and water-quality research on Keuka Lake and the other Finger Lakes for more than 15 years.
“The selection of Dr. Sellers as an ACE Fellow will benefit not just Tim but the fellowship program itself,” said Keuka College Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Brad Fuster. “He is a true example of a passionate, hands-on educator who elevates the performance of all those around him.”
Since its inception in 1965, the ACE Fellows Program has strengthened institutions in American higher education by identifying and preparing more than 2,000 faculty, staff, and administrators for senior positions in colleges and universities through its nominator-driven, cohort-based mentorship model. More than 80 percent of the Fellows who have participated have gone on to serve as chief executive officers, chief academic officers, cabinet-level members, and deans following their fellowship.
“The ACE Fellows program is unique in its ability to transform the lives and enrich the careers of its participants,” said ACE President Ted Mitchell. “After an intensive experience working with accomplished higher education leaders, the Fellows will return to their home campuses prepared to address the challenges of tomorrow.”
The program combines retreats, interactive learning opportunities, visits to campuses and other higher education-related organizations, and placement at another higher education institution to condense years of on-the-job experience and skills development into a single year.
During the placement, Fellows observe and work with the president and other senior officers at their host institution, attend decision-making meetings, and focus on issues of interest. Fellows also conduct projects of pressing concern for their home institution and seek to implement their findings upon completion of the fellowship placement.
“I’m looking forward to the experience,” said Dr. Sellers. “I can’t wait to immerse myself in the program’s opportunities and connections, and then be able to utilize the knowledge and skills I acquire to make even greater contributions to the mission of Keuka College.”
About ACE
ACE is a membership organization that mobilizes the higher education community to shape effective public policy and foster innovative, high-quality practice. As the major coordinating body for the nation’s colleges and universities, our strength lies in our diverse membership of more than 1,700 colleges and universities, related associations, and other organizations in America and abroad. ACE is the only major higher education association to represent all types of U.S.-accredited, degree-granting institutions: two-year and four-year, public and private.
