Jamie Merisotis

President and CEO

Jamie Merisotis, an internationally recognized leader in higher education, human work, philanthropy, and public policy, has been Lumina Foundation’s president and CEO since 2008.

More about Jamie
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Progress in a time of disruption: The urgency of reimagining higher ed

Jamie Merisotis  | 
Higher education has an opportunity to use this moment of extreme stress to pursue genuine, urgently-needed systemic change.
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Job hunters gain a lot by learning the value of connections

Jamie Merisotis  | 
Half a year after the Class of 2024 donned caps and gowns, even some highly skilled graduates are struggling to find jobs in their field or at the level they expected.
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Retooling higher education to meet the needs of Gen Z

Jamie Merisotis  | 
Marketers love them. Politicians court them. Colleges want them—badly. For the 69 million members of Gen Z in America, things might finally be looking up.
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To advance our social missions, philanthropy needs to address climate change

Jamie Merisotis  | 
The devastation of recent hurricanes in the U.S. Southeast brings a sobering reminder that none of us can ignore the growing dangers of climate change. Hurricanes Helene and Milton gained intensity from warming ocean temperatures, to catastrophic and deadly effects on parts of the country that once
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Non-degree credentials are great tools, but some need sharpening

Jamie Merisotis  | 
Medical billing, supply chain management, web design and development—name a field, and there’s probably a course available to learn it. Recent years have seen an explosion in the number of workforce credentials—degrees, certificates, badges, apprenticeships—over 1 million nationwide by one c
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Let’s tap the real power of college alumni

Jamie Merisotis  | 
Football games, open houses, booths selling swag—it’s fall homecoming season on college campuses, and your alma mater is eager to show off its athletic accomplishments, its new energy-efficient buildings, and its innovative academic programs. A goal of these perennial pep rallies, of course, is
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Lumina Foundation President and CEO Jamie Merisotis on #WeeklyWisdom

Jamie Merisotis  | 
In this episode of the Innovating Together podcast, Bridget Burns, CEO of the University Innovation Alliance and Sara Custer, Editor-In-Chief of Inside Higher Ed are joined by Lumina President and CEO, Jamie Merisotis.
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A shifting landscape: reflecting on higher ed’s role in democracy, citizenship, and our overall prosperity

Jamie Merisotis  | 
Higher education and workforce leaders from more than 30 states gathered this week in Baltimore to explore national trends related to education and training after high school, equitable public financing and individual benefits, and the value and purpose of colleges and universities in American socie
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Everyone counts: Colleges, companies, and communities must work together to build greater higher ed value

Jamie Merisotis  | 
Given that higher education is all about developing critical thinking skills and challenging assumptions, educators should welcome the increasingly tough questions about the value of college degrees.
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For college students—and for higher ed itself—AI is a required course

Jamie Merisotis  | 
Some of the nation’s biggest tech companies have announced efforts to reskill people to avoid job losses caused by artificial intelligence, even as they work to perfect the technology that could eliminate millions of those jobs.
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Respect and skepticism collide when it comes to how we view college

Jamie Merisotis  | 
Students are deeply concerned about college costs and the availability of jobs—but even so, more people than ever are interested in higher education. That’s the news from Gallup’s State of Higher Education 2024 report—and the fact that both those can be true says a lot about higher education
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Don’t let the ‘woke’ narrative blind us to higher ed’s contributions

Jamie Merisotis  | 
This could be a challenging year for the 4 million or so people just graduating from college: While the National Association of Colleges and Employers reports that most employers say they will maintain or increase hiring, sizeable job cuts elsewhere mean an overall decrease in hiring.
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As students question the value of college, higher ed works to fix the ‘time trap’

Jamie Merisotis  | 
At a time when bachelor’s degrees are more valuable than ever, only about 62 percent of this year’s high school graduates are expected to enroll in college next fall.
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Our K-12 expectations are outdated—here’s a better way

Jamie Merisotis  | 
An educational view dating back more than a century is getting a fresh look, and that could be the key to rethinking how we approach education and training after high school.
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FAFSA: Fixing the critical link to college affordability and completion

Jamie Merisotis  | 
Higher education is in triage mode as it scrambles to lessen the negative impacts from this year’s delayed rollout of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
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Do college majors matter? Not as much as you think

Jamie Merisotis  | 
It might be the most common question college students get. “What’s your major?” While it may be a great conversation starter on campus, the question isn’t all that effective in predicting someone’s job choice.
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Thinking about college? Don’t let COVID fatigue hold you back

Jamie Merisotis  | 
Amid rising costs and questions about higher education, fewer young people are going to college, and that’s bad for all of us.
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When considering college, students and families should think more like investors

Jamie Merisotis  | 
Of all the discussions about the cost and price of college, the most important often happen far from the seats of power in Congress and university boardrooms.
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Admissions Beat podcast S5 Episode 6: Is College Worth It?

Jamie Merisotis  | 
Jamie Merisotis and Tony Carnevale share insights on American views on higher education, including: What is the enduring value of an undergraduate degree? What majors (if any) bring a career dividend despite the rising cost of obtaining it? And does “the duality of a good job and a good life” st
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Higher ed has its hot-button issues, but jobs remain a top priority for state policymakers

Jamie Merisotis  | 
As state legislatures across the country get deeper into the policymaking process this year, we’re getting a clearer idea of how they may act on the top issues facing college students and families.

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