Bridging Research and Practice to Build the Next Generation of Higher Education Leaders.
Jorge Burmicky, Ph.D.
Jorge Burmicky, Ph.D partners with colleges, universities, foundations, and national organizations to cultivate leadership, strengthen institutional capacity, and build cultures where students and organizations thrive.
Executive Biography
About Jorge Burmicky, Ph.D.
Jorge Burmicky is a tenured Associate Professor at Howard University, nationally recognized scholar, and public speaker on higher education leadership, organizational capacity, and student success. He partners with colleges, universities, foundations, and national organizations to help leaders build stronger institutions, cultivate leadership, and create conditions where students and organizations thrive. His research and commentary have been featured in USA Today, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, The EDU Ledger, NPR-affiliated programming, and numerous podcasts and media outlets, making him a leading public voice translating higher education research into practical strategies for institutional leaders.
An award-winning scholar, Burmicky has authored more than 40 peer-reviewed publications and has secured more than $2 million in competitive external funding to advance research and leadership initiatives. He serves as Faculty Director of Howard University's HBCU Character and Leadership Education Initiative, where he leads national efforts to strengthen leadership development and organizational capacity across higher education. His work has earned numerous national honors, including the 2025 Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) Public Scholarship Award for the landmark Competencies for the College Presidency study, which surveyed more than 700 college and university presidents nationwide. He is also the recipient of the Barbara K. Townsend Emerging Scholar Award, Howard University's Emerging Faculty Research Award, the EDU Ledger Emerging Scholar Award, and the Dr. V. Ray Cardozier Alumni Excellence Award from The University of Texas at Austin.
Before entering the professoriate, Burmicky spent more than a decade as a higher education administrator in admissions, residence life, student engagement, multicultural affairs, and leadership development. Those experiences continue to shape his practical, engaging, and evidence-based approach to speaking and consulting. Whether addressing presidents, trustees, cabinet members, faculty, or emerging leaders, he challenges audiences to think differently about leadership by emphasizing character, equity, organizational capacity, and the intentional development of homegrown talent. His forthcoming book with Oxford University Press (2027) introduces a new framework for cultivating the next generation of higher education leaders through three interconnected domains: equity, character, and mission-driven leadership.
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Research Pillars
Presidential Leadership in Higher Education: Pathways, executive competencies, governance, and executive decision-making.
Organizational Capacity & Leadership Development: Tools and sustainable systems for developing internal talent pipelines.
Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs): Specialized capacity-building with focus on HBCUs and HSIs.
Community Colleges: Broad-access institutions, rural community colleges, and Hispanic-serving community colleges.
Basic Needs Insecurities: Researching food, housing, and financial security among undergraduate students.
My Journey:
Caracas to Howard University
"I grew up in Caracas, Venezuela, where my early experiences shaped a deep appreciation for education, public service, and leadership. Following the 2002 coup d'état, I made the difficult decision to move to the United States so I could continue my education. Like many students navigating unfamiliar systems and cultures, I experienced firsthand how access to opportunity can change the trajectory of a person's life. Those experiences continue to shape my scholarship, teaching, and leadership today."
Throughout my career, I’ve remained committed to expanding opportunity for students and strengthening the institutions that serve them. My research focuses on the colleges and universities that educate the vast majority of Americans, particularly community colleges and minority-serving institutions, which too often receive the least policy attention and public investment. Whether I am conducting research, mentoring students, consulting with institutional leaders, or delivering keynote addresses, I strive to bridge scholarship with practical solutions that help organizations build leadership capacity, improve student success, and fulfill their missions.
As a professor at Howard University in Washington, D.C., one of the greatest privileges of my work is preparing the next generation of higher education leaders. I intentionally connect my students with national higher education associations, policy organizations, and professional networks because I believe leadership is cultivated through both knowledge and opportunity. I’m intentional about teaching and mentoring students who rarely see themselves reflected in positions of influence.
"I believe that talent is everywhere, even when opportunity is not. Higher education transformed my life, and I see it as both a privilege and a responsibility to help ensure that future generations of students have the opportunity to thrive and advance the public good."
Books, Research & Publications
Forthcoming Book (Oxford University Press, 2027)
Cultivating the Next Generation of Higher Education Leaders
A Framework for Character, Equity, and Mission-Driven Leadership
At the heart of Dr. Burmicky’s upcoming book with Oxford University Press (2027) is a simple but often overlooked premise: leadership development is too often treated as an individual responsibility rather than an organizational one.
Aspiring leaders are frequently expected to earn advanced degrees, attend conferences, seek out mentors, and invest their own personal and financial resources to prepare for future roles. Yet colleges and universities often provide limited infrastructure, intentional pathways, or sustained support for developing the talent that already exists within their campuses.
This book argues that higher education institutions must move from merely identifying leadership potential to intentionally cultivating it. Written for leaders across the entire institution—from emerging professionals and mid-level managers to senior executives in both academic and student affairs—the book provides a practical roadmap to embed leadership development directly into organizational culture.
The Three Interconnected Domains
The framework is organized around three core pillars, each structured with a research-based chapter establishing the conceptual foundation, followed by a companion implementation chapter with practical tools and strategies:
Character-Driven Leadership: Building integrity, moral courage, and ethical decision-making into institutional capacity.
Equity-Driven Leadership: Creating inclusive pathways that foster homegrown talent and dismantle systemic barriers.
Mission-Driven Leadership: Aligning executive strategy and day-to-day operations with the core purpose of the institution.
Featured Peer-Reviewed Publications
Competencies for the College Presidency: A National Study of Effective Leadership in Higher Education
Burmicky, J., McClure, K., Ryu, W.
Latinx/a/o Senior Leaders in U.S. Higher Education: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Burmicky, J., Duran, A., Munoz, N.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Performance-Based Funding: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Burmicky, J., Clarke, A., Anderson, C.
Keynote Speaking
Jorge Burmicky delivers research-driven presentations that challenge higher education leaders to think differently about leadership, organizational capacity, and students success.
Leadership Workshops
Designed for presidents, cabinet members, deans, vice presidents, department chairs, directors, emerging leaders, and student affairs units.
Board Retreats & Executive Leadership Retreats
Facilitated retreats that help executive teams, divisions and departments, and governing boards engage in strategic planning, goal-setting, and meaningful reflection at the beginning and end of the year.
Consulting & Executive Coaching
Customized one-on-one or group coaching for executive leaders to think strategically about their leadership approach, professional growth, and complex career challenges.
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