“Upon completion of the fellowship program, I intend to share my experiences and acquired skills and knowledge with the Appalachian Community through additional service and leadership roles on our campus.”

Dr. Jim Denniston, 2018-19 ACE Fellow and professor of psychology at Appalachian

BOONE, N.C. — The American Council on Education (ACE) announced this week that Dr. Jim Denniston, professor in Appalachian State University’s Department of Psychology, has been named an ACE Fellow for the 2018-19 academic year.

Established in 1965, the ACE Fellows Program is designed to strengthen institutions and leadership in American higher education by identifying and preparing faculty and staff for senior positions in college and university administration through its distinctive and intensive nominator-driven, cohort-based mentorship model. Following nomination by the senior administration of their institutions and a rigorous application process, 45 Fellows were selected this year.

More than 2,000 higher education leaders have participated in the ACE Fellows Program over the past five decades, with more than 80 percent of Fellows having gone on to serve as senior leaders of colleges and universities.

“For more than a half-century, the ACE Fellows Program has been a powerful engine fueling the expansion of a talented and diverse higher education leadership pipeline,” ACE President Ted Mitchell said. “We are excited to welcome this new class of Fellows and look forward to each enjoying a transformative experience that will help advance individual leadership readiness while also enriching the capacity of institutions to innovate and thrive.”

Denniston said, “I am excited to be afforded the opportunity to participate in the ACE Fellows program and am thankful to Provost Darrell Kruger and Chancellor Sheri Everts for nominating me for this prestigious academic leadership development program.

“Through the fellowship program, I aim to expand my knowledge and view of issues in higher education and develop the skills necessary to become a more effective leader. Upon completion of the fellowship program, I intend to share my experiences and acquired skills and knowledge with the Appalachian Community through additional service and leadership roles on our campus.”

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.

Appalachian Provost and Vice Chancellor Dr. Darrell Kruger, who nominated Denniston for the fellowship program, said, “Jim’s selection as an ACE Fellow is indicative of the stature of Appalachian in the national higher education landscape. It is also a testament to Jim's accomplishments to date and his leadership talent. He will benefit immensely from this opportunity … and Appalachian will benefit from Jim’s contributions to campus following the fellowship.”

At the conclusion of the fellowship year, Fellows return to their home institution with new knowledge and skills that contribute to capacity-building efforts, along with a network of peers across the country and abroad.

About Dr. Jim Denniston

Denniston received his doctorate in psychology from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Binghamton. He holds a Master of Experimental Psychology from Bucknell University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from New York University.

His area of specialization is information processing in animals, including learning, memory, timing and decision making. He has published over 20 peer-reviewed publications in the area of associative learning in animals and actively mentors a team of undergraduate research assistants in his laboratory at Appalachian.

In 2015, Denniston was the recipient of the Jimmy Smith Outstanding Service Award from the Appalachian’s College of Arts and Sciences. The award honors a faculty member who has demonstrated meaningful and significant service to the College, the university, and/or the faculty member’s profession.

Denniston is a member of the American Psychological Society, the Comparative Cognition Society, the Pavlovian Society and Project Kaleidoscope.

About the American Council on Education

Celebrating its centennial in 2018, the American Council on Education (ACE) is the major coordinating body for all the nation’s higher education institutions, representing nearly 1,800 college and university presidents and related associations. It provides leadership on key higher education issues and influences public policy through advocacy. For more information, visit http://www.acenet.edu or follow ACE on Twitter @ACEducation.

About the Dr. Wiley F. Smith Department of Psychology

Appalachian State University’s Dr. Wiley F. Smith Department of Psychology serves more than 1,400 undergraduate majors seeking the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in psychology, as well as 90 graduate students across four graduate programs: experimental psychology (MA), industrial-organizational psychology and human resource management (MA), school psychology (MA/SSP) and clinical psychology (PsyD). Learn more at https://psych.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.

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