February 12, 2025 | Washington, D.C.
Mildred García, chancellor of the California State University system, has won the 2025 TIAA Institute Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence in Higher Education. The award was presented at the 2025 Annual MeetingOpens in a new window of the American Council on Education in Washington, D.C. The TIAA Institute also held a special dinner in Chancellor Garcia’s honor.
The Hesburgh Award is sponsored by the TIAA Institute and administered by ACE. It’s given annually to a current college or university president or chancellor for demonstrating outstanding leadership and enhancing higher education broadly. Winners are chosen by an independent panel of judges.
The award is named for Father Theodore M. Hesburgh (1917-2015), past president of the University of Notre Dame and longtime member of the TIAA and CREF Boards of Overseers. A world-renowned educator, Father Hesburgh was also a lifelong champion of human rights, the cause of peace, and care for the poor. For more on the award, visit our Awards page.
