Mark S. Kiselica, interim dean of the School of Education, was recently named an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow, being one of 50 announced by Molly Corbett Broad, president of the American Council on Education (ACE), on March 19, 2013. ACE selects fellows by sifting through nominees from presidents or chancellors of institutions nationwide, creating a selective and exceptional collection of senior faculty and administration members from accredited colleges and universities. Induction provides Kiselica an opportunity to focus on several potential projects applicable to TCNJ’s campus, while working on a solution at a host institution. He plans to work on initiatives in academics and fund raising, and his placement with a host institution will be determined in the near future.
Additionally, Kiselica will participate in weeklong retreats and group case studies, in efforts to create a network of higher education leaders across the United States and abroad. Margarita Benítez, interim director of ACE’s Emerging Leaders Group and the ACE Fellows Program, calls this year’s group of fellows a “talented, diverse group,” stating that “The ACE Fellows Program will strengthen their leadership skills, expand their networks, and prepare them to tackle the wide array of issues facing the higher education community.”
Kiselica, professor of counselor education, has served as the interim dean of the School of Education for the past three years. Previously, Kiselica served as chair of the Department of Counselor Education, acting dean of the School of Education, and vice provost of TCNJ. He completed his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Saint Vincent College, his master’s degree in psychology from Bucknell University, and his doctorate in counseling psychology from the Pennsylvania State University. Kiselica has dedicated much of his professional life to studying, understanding, and helping troubled boys and men and to addressing serious social problems, such as racism and adolescent pregnancy and parenthood. He is the author of over 140 publications, including five books. A former president of the Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity, he has served as a consulting scholar for the Federal Fatherhood Initiatives of the Clinton, G.W. Bush, and Obama administrations, and he headed an award-winning campaign to confront racism and anti-Semitism in Pennsylvania. In recognition of his national impact on the science and practice of the profession of psychology, he has been named a fellow of the American Psychological Association, and in honor of his work on many social issues, he received the American Counseling Association’s Gilbert and Kathleen Wrenn Award for a Humanitarian and Caring Person.
Mark Woodford, chair of the counseling education department at the College, calls Kiselica “a remarkable professional and individual.” Woodford added, “It is not surprising to me that he has been nominated for, and been awarded, an American Council of Education Fellowship. This honor serves as a testament to the far reaching influence of his scholarly achievements and to his leadership and service to The College of New Jersey community and beyond.”
Founded in 1918, ACE is the major coordinating body for all the nation’s higher education institutions, representing more than 1,600 college and university presidents, and more than 200 related associations, nationwide. It provides leadership on key higher education issues and influences public policy through advocacy.