Feb. 27, 2025 / Washington, D.C.
On Feb. 27, 2026, we will formally announce the winner of the 2026 TIAA Institute Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence in Higher Education. The award will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Council on Education (ACE) in Washington, D.C., and the evening before the award presentation we will host a special dinner to honor the winner and celebrate leadership excellence.
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.
The Hesburgh Award is sponsored by the TIAA Institute and administered by ACE. It’s given annually to a current college, university, or system president or chancellor for demonstrating outstanding leadership and strengthening higher education and society broadly in the spirit of Father Hesburgh. Winners are chosen by an independent panel of judges. For more information on the Award and to view last year’s winner, click here.