MOCO College Administrator Chosen As Leadership Fellow

ROCKVILLE, MD — A Montgomery County College administrator has been chosen for a national leaders fellowship, the college announced this week.

Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Sanjay Rai will take part in the 2021-22 class of the Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship, which aims to enhance leadership in community colleges nationwide.

"The Aspen Rising President’s Fellowship is an extraordinary opportunity and I’m very pleased that MC’s Dr. Sanjay Rai has been accepted to this competitive program," said MC President DeRionne Pollard in a statement. “The program promotes many of the values that are central to the MC mission—diversity, inclusion, academic rigor, and visionary leadership—and I’m sure Dr. Rai will contribute much from his MC experience to his cohort.”

Rai has worked in his current role at MC since 2014, and previously worked as the vice president and provost at the Germantown Campus.

“Montgomery College has been a leading institution in the nation in addressing the challenges caused by the pandemic, and continuing equity, social justice and issues of racism," said Rai in a statement. "Our efforts in addressing these issues and creating a homegrown talent pipeline for the increasing digital economy of our region is something that I look forward to sharing with other fellows and learning from their experiences, as well.”

Rai joins 39 other community college leaders around the country for the 10-month fellowship. The fellows are mentored by other community college presidents who can share their strategies for achieving student success and improving programs.

“To become institutions that truly advance social mobility and talent development, community colleges must have presidents with a clear vision for equitable student success,” said Monica Clark, director of leadership initiatives at the College Excellence Program in a news release. “We have selected these fellows because they share that commitment and are well-positioned to become transformational leaders.”

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