417. A Sharecropper’s Grandson’s Journey to  Become America’s Youngest College President

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Dr. Chris Howard, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Arizona State University and former President of Robert Morris University and Hampden-Sydney College, to discuss his diverse career path on the way to discovering his calling in higher education. Elected student body president at Plano High, where 2% of the student body was African American, he helped Plano win the Texas state football championship. Chris received an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy where he again excelled in the classroom and on the gridiron and was selected to be the inaugural recipient of the prestigious Draddy Trophy, now called the Campbell Trophy, given to our nation’s top college football scholar athlete. Chris earned a PhD from Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and served in the U.S. Air Force as a helicopter pilot and as an intelligence officer, where he was assigned to the elite Joint Special Operations Command. He later received an MBA with distinction from Harvard before embarking on a successful business and higher education leadership career, becoming the nation's youngest college president.  LISTEN TO the radio broadcast live on iHeart Radio, or to “THE MENTORS RADIO” podcast any time, anywhere, on any podcast platform – subscribe here and don’t miss an episode! SHOW NOTES: DR. CHRIS HOWARD: BIO: Dr. Chris Howard Arizona State University BIO (pdf) VIDEOS: TEDx: "The 5 Be's": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQvuktjngwI RMU Innauguration Speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fAOVoKp4hE University Innovation Alliance Weekly Wisdom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1zSFuJe1FY Lighthouse Mckinsey- Dr. Chris Howard on the power of education and inclusivity: https://www.mckinsey.com/Videos/video?vid=6315399472112&plyrid=HkOJqCPWdb ARTICLES: Business Principles are Important for College Presidents, by Christopher B. Howard — The New York Times Combat Veteran and Robert Morris University President Chris Howard shares what it means to be Military Friendly - G.I.Jobs magazine - terrific article! Being The Most Popular Kid in the Class Doesn't Work Forever, by Christopher B. Howard, President, Hampden-Sydney College — The New York Times Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze?, by Dr. Chris Howard, President, Hampden-Sydney College — The New York Times