(New Orleans)—David C. Estes, assistant provost and associate professor of English at Loyola University New Orleans, has been named as one of 37 fellows of the American Council on Education (ACE) for the academic year 2003 - 2004. ACE is the major coordinating body for higher education in the United States.

The ACE Fellows Program, established in 1965, is designed to strengthen institutions and leadership in American higher education by identifying and preparing promising faculty and senior administrators for responsible positions in college and university administration. Previous fellows have advanced into major positions in academic administration. Of the nearly 1,400 participants in the first 38 years of the program, more that 250 have become chief executive officers and nearly 1,000 have become provosts, vice presidents, or deans.

ACE fellows focus on an issue of concern to the nominating institution while spending the next academic year working with a college or university president and other senior officers at a host institution. Estes will examine implementation of strategic plans that call for university collaboration. During the program, fellows attend three week-long seminars on higher education issues organized by ACE, read extensively in the field, and engage in other activities to enhance their knowledge about the challenges and opportunities confronting higher education.