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Michael M. Crow
President, Arizona State University
Michael M. Crow became the sixteenth president of Arizona State University in 2002. He is guiding the transformation of ASU into one of the nation’s leading public metropolitan research universities, an institution combining academic excellence, inclusiveness, and societal impact—a model he terms the “New American University.” During his tenure, ASU has achieved an exceptional record for student success, increasing the number of graduating students by more than 50 percent a year. Under his leadership, ASU has become one of the Top 100 universities in the world and was ranked by the Wall St. Journal in the Top 5 in the nation for producing career-ready graduates who succeed in business.
Crow was named by Time Magazine as one of the Top 10 college presidents in the United States. Prior to becoming president of ASU, Crow was executive vice provost of Columbia University. A fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, he is the author of books and articles analyzing knowledge enterprises and science and technology policy. He holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration from The Maxwell School at Syracuse University and a B.A. in Political Science & Environmental Studies from the Iowa State University of Science and Technology.
Crow is committed to the success of student-athletes, both on and off the field of play. Under his leadership as chairman of the Pac-10 CEO Executive Group from 2009 to 2011, the conference undertook an ambitious, transformative agenda, resulting in the hiring of Commissioner Larry Scott, the expansion of the conference to 12 members, and a highly successful rebranding effort.
Crow understands the perspective of the athlete from personal experience. In high school, he was a heavyweight wrestler; played center and nose guard positions in football; and in track threw the shot put and discus, and competed in the long jump, triple jump and 880-yard relay. As an undergraduate at Iowa State University, he threw the javelin.