James W. Crawford III Named the Sole Finalist for Texas Southern Presidency

Texas Southern University has announced that James W. Crawford III, a retired Vice Admiral and Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Navy and former President of Felician University, is the sole finalist for its next President. Crawford served as interim President at Felician University in 2020 before being appointed to the post permanently in 2021.

The official announcement states, “…Crawford served in the United States Navy for more than 30 years, retiring as a Vice Admiral and its 43rd Judge Advocate General (JAG). He has served as the head of the Naval Legal Service Command, legal counsel to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and commander of NATO Rule of Law Field Support, Afghanistan. Crawford served under six Presidents and was Lead Counsel for the principal military advisor to Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He was a trusted voice for the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council, and Secretaries of Defense Robert M. Gates and Leon Panetta. As the Judge Advocate General of the Navy, Crawford led 2,400 judge advocates, enlisted employees, and civilian employees of the Navy’s global legal organization. He is the recipient of numerous military awards, including two Distinguished Service Medals.”

Crawford earned a JD from the University of North Carolina, and LLM in ocean and coastal law from the University of Miami, and an MA in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.

Texas Southern University anticipates a May 2024 start date for President-designate Crawford.

Joan Gabel Leaving Minnesota for University of Pittsburgh

Lawyer president Joan Gabel is leaving the presidency at the University of Minnesota System and Twin Cities campus to lead the University of Pittsburgh as its 19th Chancellor effective July 2024. Gabel is the first woman to lead both flagship universities.

Gabel previously served as executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of South Carolina (2015 to 2019), and she was Dean of the University of Missouri's Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business from 2010 to 2015.

Gabel holds a J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law.

Jonathan Alger named President of American University

Long-time James Madison University, President Jonathan Alger, has been appointed as the 16th President of American University effective July 2024.

Jon Alger is highly regarded as a visionary leader in higher education who has an impressive record of accomplishments at JMU and throughout his career in academia.

Alger previously served as senior vice president and general counsel at Rutgers University.  While assistant general counsel at the University of Michigan, he played a leading role in two landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases on race and admissions. While at both Michigan and Rutgers, Alger taught courses in leadership, law, higher education, public policy and diversity. He also worked as counsel for the American Association of University Professors and the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

Alger earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School.