National Honor | Eastern NC Now

    Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of ECU News Services. The author of this post is Jules Norwood.


ECU Chancellor Philip Rogers was honored by the National Association of Presidential Assistants in Higher Education during its annual meeting in Washington, D.C. (ECU file photo)
    East Carolina University Chancellor Philip Rogers was recognized for his service to the American Council on Education (ACE) and other educational organizations during the annual meeting of the National Association of Presidential Assistants in Higher Education (NAPAHE) in Washington, D.C.

    Rogers received the 2022 NAPAHE Award for Professional Achievement, which was created in 2006 to highlight the success and recognize the contributions of former presidential assistants in the field of higher education.

    "It is truly an honor to be recognized by this organization," Rogers said. "In the rapidly changing landscape of higher education, NAPAHE provides not only support for professionals in the field, but also an opportunity to meet each other, work together and discuss ideas and best practices that benefit our institutions and our students."

    Kathryn Enke, senior advisor for leadership, strategy and governance for the American Association of Colleges and Universities, was the previous recipient of the award and nominated Rogers. In presenting the award she noted Rogers' service as a policy analyst and chief of staff at ECU prior to his homecoming as chancellor in 2021.

    "Would that we all could advance from the presidential assistant role to the corner office at our institutions!" she said.

    Before joining ECU, Rogers served as vice president and chief of staff for the American Council on Education, where Enke said he worked to advance the relationship between ACE and NAPAHE.

    "Dr. Rogers' commitment to NAPAHE and the professional development of presidential assistants has not waned as he has progressed through his career. As senior vice president of learning and engagement at ACE, Dr. Rogers moderated the opening plenary session at the 2019 NAPAHE Conference, and as chancellor of East Carolina University, he anchored the closing plenary session at last year's conference," Enke said. "Dr. Rogers speaks eloquently about the ways that presidential assistants contribute to leadership within higher education, and about how his own experience as a chief of staff catalyzed his leadership accomplishments.

    "NAPAHE was established to enhance the profession of people who support higher education's leaders, and Dr. Rogers' leadership journey provides a laudable example of the ongoing professionalization of our role and the value of NAPAHE's programs, networking and information resources."

    Previous recipients of the NAPAHE Award for Professional Achievement include Wesley R. Fugate, president of Wilson College; David R. Russell, commissioner of higher education for the state of Missouri; Joseph H. Silver Sr.; Roland B. Smith Jr., Rice University; Marc Schaeffer, William Paterson University; Mildred Garcia, California State University, Dominguez Hills; Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, president emeritus, George Washington University; and Tony Ross, California State University, Los Angeles.