The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program (Aspen) has announced that Dr. Scott Balog, executive vice president at Kansas City Kansas Community College, is one of 40 leaders selected for the 2025-26 Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship. Rigorously selected from more than 120 applicants, fellows will learn from, and apply to their own contexts, lessons from more than a dozen years of Aspen research about how to lead an institution to higher and more equitable levels of student success.
Many sitting community college presidents plan to retire in the next decade, creating an opportunity for college trustees and system heads to select leaders who have the skills and knowledge to achieve better outcomes for students. Aspen Presidential Fellows represent the next generation of diverse college leaders, including by institution and geography, representing 19 states and ranging from small rural to large urban colleges. The fellows will work closely with highly accomplished community college presidents and thought leaders over ten months to learn from field-leading research, examine demographic and labor market conditions in their communities, assess student outcomes at their colleges, and advance a clear vision for excellent outcomes for all their students while in college and after they graduate.
“Our research on excellent colleges reveals that they have a few big things in common - they have presidents who focus on a few large-scale reforms that transcend enrollment and completion goals and centrally focus on whether graduates are set up to succeed in the next stage of their lives—either the world of work or at a university where they aim to earn a bachelor’s degree,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the College Excellence Program. “This cohort of fellows is clearly committed to advancing student success and has the talent to lead transformational reforms. We are really looking forward to our year with them in the fellowship and bringing their talents into our alumni network.”
Balog, who has been at KCKCC since April 2023, has more than 20 years of experience working in higher education leadership positions. Prior to KCKCC, he served Tallahassee State College as executive director for its Center for Innovation, chief of staff, director of Institutional Research and Planning and assistant to the president. His contributions to higher education also include his role as Chief Learning Officer for the Association for Institutional Research.
For bios and photos of all 40 leaders, visit as.pn/RPF-C10.