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David Greene, “American Higher Education in the Eye of the Storm”
August 15, 2021 @ 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
The global pandemic didn’t create a crisis for colleges and universities as much as it exposed existing and growing fault lines. Outdated financial and pricing models, weakening public support, the promise (and failure) of online learning, and industry-wide inertia are leading to a major shakeout. But the news is not all bad, with innovative approaches and a long overdue focus on students and learning charting a way forward.
As Colby College’s 20th president, David A. Greene has been executing an ambitious program for ensuring Colby’s place among the world’s finest liberal arts colleges. Most recently, Greene led the creation of the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence at Colby, which will be the first interdisciplinary AI program at a liberal arts college when it formally launches in the fall of 2021. Construction is underway on the largest academic building project in Colby’s history, the Gordon Center for Creative and Performing Arts, and in 2020 Colby opened the Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center, the finest facility in Division 3 athletics.
A major priority in his administration has been to advance the College’s efforts around diversity and inclusion and investment in programs to increase its global focus. Through expanded outreach and distinctive financial aid programs, Colby’s applicant pool has risen from 5,000 to 16,000 and the enrolled classes at historic highs for academic preparation and diversity. Greene led the creation of DavisConnects, an innovative program that guarantees funded global experiences for Colby students and supports internships and research opportunities through partnerships with corporations and nonprofit and civic organizations. Partnerships also support the Colby Labs, such as the Buck Lab for the Environment and Climate Change and the Linde Packman Lab for Biosciences Innovation, an initiative Greene spearheaded to create multidisciplinary connections around major global challenges and to facilitate funded internships, research, and global experiences for students. Through a partnership with the Wyeth family, Colby students and faculty have unique opportunities to engage in research on Allen Island off the Maine coast, and in 2017 Colby launched the Lunder Institute for American Art, a collaborative initiative with the Colby College Museum of Art that inspires innovative research and production to expand the boundaries of American art.
Recognizing that a vibrant downtown Waterville is critical to both the region and to Colby, Greene has worked with city leaders to make downtown revitalization a priority. The College’s action, including the redevelopment of key properties downtown, spurred additional investment in real estate and economic activity on and around Main Street, with a total of $180 million invested to date. Colby’s downtown projects include two facilities that will make Waterville a destination for the arts and culture, a boutique hotel and restaurant, a student residential complex, new retail spaces, and a tech center in a former bank building that had been vacant for decades. Colby’s efforts are being supported through the largest fundraising campaign in liberal arts history.
Before arriving at Colby, Greene was executive vice president of the University of Chicago and, prior to that, served in leadership roles at Brown University and Smith College. At the University of Chicago he led high-priority initiatives including revitalization of community and commercial areas in Hyde Park, near the university’s campus; a master plan to support $3 billion in infrastructure improvements and expansion including residence halls, research buildings, clinical care facilities, and art centers; an affiliation with the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole and establishment of the Becker Friedman Institute for Research in Economics; and development of new research and teaching centers in Chicago, New Delhi, and Beijing.
Greene received a bachelor’s degree in history from Hamilton College and a master’s degree in human development and psychology from Harvard University before earning a master’s and a doctoral degree in education and social policy at Harvard. In addition to the economics of education, his research interests include social and political movements and their influence on individuals and institutions.