DONALD E. HELLER, ED.D.
Advisor
Areas of Expertise: Governance and administration, academic affairs, faculty issues, enrollment management, accreditation, finance
Donald E. Heller is the retired provost and vice president of academic affairs at the University of San Francisco, where he was responsible for the university’s five schools, libraries, academic affairs, student life, enrollment management, online programs, branch campuses, international relations, and diversity and community outreach. While at USF, he was a key negotiator in three potential acquisitions for the university.
Prior to his appointment at USF, Dr. Heller was dean of the College of Education at Michigan State University, director of the Center for the Study of Higher Education at Penn State, and assistant professor at the University of Michigan. Before his academic career, he was an information technology manager at MIT for a dozen years. His academic work is in educational economics, public policy, and finance, and he has consulted on higher education policy issues for university systems and policymaking organizations in 10 states. He has testified before Congressional committees, state legislatures, and federal courts as an expert witness.
Dr. Heller has authored over 200 publications and has been interviewed by and/or published opinion columns in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Washington Post, The Chronicle of Higher Education, NPR, and other media. He is the editor or co-editor of six books, including, most recently, Student Financing of Higher Education: A Comparative Perspective. In 2012, he was appointed to the board of trustees of DePaul University, where he still serves.
Dr. Heller earned an Ed.D. in higher education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, an Ed.M. in administration, planning, and social policy from Harvard, and a B.A. in economics and political science from Tufts University.