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Cheryl Hyman to lead Gates Foundation’s Pathways Strategy. Read the Foundation’s Pathways blog post here.

Cheryl L. Hyman (CS ’96), vice provost at Arizona State University (ASU), has been elected to the Illinois Institute of Technology Board of Trustees. Hyman’s illustrious background in educational and executive leadership will help Illinois Tech in its mission to provide a transformative education that empowers students to find career success.

“I am deeply honored to join the Illinois Tech Board of Trustees,” said Hyman. “Illinois Tech ignited my passion for lifelong learning and provided me with a strong foundation that has propelled my career. I’m eager to give back to the university that gave me so much; I’m wholeheartedly committed to advancing Illinois Tech’s mission and catalyzing its boundless potential.”

Before joining ASU in 2019, Hyman served as chancellor of the City Colleges of Chicago for seven years, leading and advocating for the success of over 100,000 students annually while overseeing a balanced budget of $700 million. During her tenure, Hyman instituted the “Reinvention” program, designed to increase completion and student success, enhance the transition rate to bachelor’s degree programs, bolster the outcomes for students requiring additional academic support, and elevate the progression of adult learners and English as a Second Language students to collegiate-level classes. Under her leadership, the graduation rate more than doubled and the number of degrees awarded was the highest in City Colleges’ history. Hyman was also named one of America’s Ten Most Innovative College Presidents by Washington Monthly magazine in 2015. During her tenure, she implemented College to Careers, a program partnering City Colleges faculty and staff with industry experts to help bridge the gaps between providing affordable means of building the skills employers seek and workplace demands.

Hyman’s memoir, Reinvention: The Promise and Challenge of Transforming a Community College System (Harvard Educational Press, 2018), captures her challenges and triumphs leading City Colleges, underlining her tireless work ethic, and passion for improving educational accessibility and quality.

As vice provost at ASU, Hyman has continued her work in reshaping the educational landscape through initiatives like MyPath2ASU, a technology solution that aims to smooth transitions for transfer students. Hyman oversees numerous high-profile, grant-funded projects dedicated to improving the mobility of learning, partnering with other academic institutions, and ensuring that students have the resources and a pathway to succeed at ASU.

“Cheryl is a world-renowned leader in forging academic partnerships and enhancing student mobility, and her expertise and wise counsel will help guide  Illinois Tech as it builds on its founding commitment to fuel technology-oriented education for all,” said Illinois Tech President Raj Echambadi. “Our whole university community is honored to collaborate with her as we continue to reimagine higher education here in Chicago and across the world.”

Hyman has also performed extensive community work as part of the Illinois Community College Board, Complete College America, the Chicago History Museum, the Commercial Club of Chicago, the Economic Club of Chicago, and the Urban Institute’s U.S. Partnership on Mobility from Poverty. She previously served on the Board of The Night Ministry, an organization focused on poverty and homelessness, and as a court-appointed special advocate for Illinois children. She has been named one of Arizona’s most influential women, and she serves as chairperson for Arizona Women in Higher Education and the Board of Directors of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Arizona.

“It’s a privilege to welcome an alumna of Cheryl’s caliber to our board,” said Michael P. Galvin (LAW ’78), chair of the Illinois Tech Board of Trustees. “Her profound experiences—spanning from groundbreaking academic initiatives to transformative community engagements—promise a luminous future for the university and for our students.”

Hyman began her career at ComEd, where she ultimately became vice president in her 14-year tenure. In addition to her bachelor’s degree in computer science from Illinois Tech, Hyman holds an associate degree from Olive-Harvey College, a master’s degree in community development and certification in nonprofit management from North Park University, and an executive M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

As many of you have already heard, I have begun a new role at Arizona State University—a new role which allows me to continue pursuing my two passions in higher education: innovation and providing new opportunities to the more than half of all American adults who hold no postsecondary credentials.

Like the community college sector from which I came, Arizona State University is committed to opening the doors to opportunity to the entire spectrum of society, regardless of their zip code or their family resources. As part of that charge, ASU has worked hard to build pathways that allow community college students to seamlessly transition to the university and successfully earn a bachelor’s degree. But as an institution, ASU also is committed to improving the lives of the 61 percent of community college students nationwide who do not receive any credential within six years, as well as the 52 percent of all American adults who hold no postsecondary credentials.

That’s why as vice provost for academic alliances, I see our partnerships evolving into platforms—a continuum of learning opportunities which include ASU and other institutions, including nontraditional providers, brought together by technology which will help learners navigate the growing complexity of higher education and the skills they will need throughout their lives.

I have a vision of ASU as a connector — connecting students to their next opportunity. No one institution will have the answer to everything every student needs as they navigate the complexity of higher education. For all of our institutions to meet the needs of all learners, we’ll need new connections to help improve the pathways they need to navigate to access ongoing learning and move to the next phases of their lives.

ASU is well positioned to meet this challenge. We were just named the most innovative college in America by U.S. News and World Report for the fifth year running. I came here from the community college sector because of the institution’s commitment to access and opportunity, and its willingness to make the dramatic changes needed throughout higher education if it is to remain relevant in our rapidly changing world.  I’m excited about the opportunities to work together that lie ahead, and I look forward to sharing the journey.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Ryan Streeter, director of domestic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute. Our wide-ranging discussion on the issues facing the community college sector is available as part of AEI’s Viewpoint series.

Watch the video below or on AEI’s YouTube channel.