CSUSB associate dean named American Council on Education Fellow

Anna Ni, associate dean and professor of public administration at the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration, has been named an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Nominated by CSUSB President Tomás D. Morales, Ni is one of 26 higher education leaders from across the nation chosen for this distinction by ACE.

“Her innovation, ability to adapt and embrace change, and demonstrated record to drive results – coupled with training gained from her participation in the ACE Fellowship program – would further prepare Dr. Ni for leadership roles on our campus," Morales said.

Ni is thankful for the prestigious honor of being named an ACE Fellow, an opportunity she sees as a steppingstone to further her leadership capabilities.

"I am honored to join the ranks of my esteemed CSUSB colleagues who have also been nominated to be ACE Fellows in the past. Higher education today is facing enormous challenges and opportunities. I believe the program will broaden my perspectives and elevate me as a leader who can navigate the uncharted waters," she said. Ni also gave credit to her past educators and mentors, whose support and guidance have been instrumental in her achievements.

The ACE Fellows Program, which was founded in 1965, is recognized for its role in preparing emerging academic leaders for greater responsibilities and roles. “For decades, the ACE Fellows Program has played a crucial role in developing a pipeline of skilled, agile, and diverse leaders who advance and invigorate higher education,” said ACE President Ted Mitchell, noting that the program has prepared over 2,500 faculty, staff, and administrators for senior positions.

Ni's personal background has given her a profound appreciation for education's role in changing lives. “As a first-generation college graduate from a single-parent, working-class family, no one can appreciate more than I do the transformational power of education,” she said.

With her father’s passing when she was just five, the responsibility of her upbringing fell to her mother, a woman with limited formal education but a staunch belief in its value.

"My mother always urged us to pursue our educational goals above all else," Ni said. This ethos has carried her and her brother, now a Ph.D. and NASA scientist, to significant academic and professional heights.

Ni is deeply committed to fostering positive outcomes for CSUSB students, inspired by her own experiences and the educators, advisors and mentors who have supported and guided her. She aims to continue contributing to the university community, working to ensure student success and academic excellence.