Michael J. Sorrell

President, Paul Quinn College

Tuesday, October 27 - General Session

Dr. Michael J. Sorrell is the longest-serving President in the 153-year history of Paul Quinn College. During his 18 years of leadership, Paul Quinn has become nationally celebrated for its ability to find innovative ways of addressing the needs of today’s students and their communities.

Included among Paul Quinn’s numerous accomplishments during President Sorrell’s tenure are the following: improving graduation rates by more than 30%; reducing the average student loan debt by $30,0000; building the first new buildings on campus in 50 years; creating the Urban Work College Model; partnering with Dallas Independent School District and KIPP Charter Schools to open two secondary schools on the PQC campus; winning the HBCU of the Year, HBCU Student Government Association of the Year, and HBCU Business Program of the Year awards; demolishing 16 campus buildings; partnering with PepsiCo to transform the football field into the WE over Me Farm; achieving full-accreditation from the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS); creating the College’s first faculty-led study abroad program; and rewriting all institutional fundraising records.

Dr. Sorrell is one of the most recognized college presidents in America. Among the honors he has received are the following: the President George W. Bush Institute’s Trailblazer Citation; Fortune Magazine named him one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders; being the only three-time recipient of the HBCU Male President of the Year Award; winning Education Dive’s Higher Education’s President of the Year award; and being listed by Time Magazine as one of the “31 People Changing the South.”

Michael received his J.D. and M.A. in Public Policy from Duke University and his Ed.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. Michael was a recipient of a Sloan Foundation Graduate Fellowship, which funded his studies at both Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government (as a graduate fellow) and Duke University. He graduated from Oberlin College with a B.A. in Government and captained the men’s varsity basketball team twice.

President Sorrell is a trustee for College Track and the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. Michael is also a member of the advisory boards of Advancing Black Pathways (JPMC), GSV, and Amegy Bank. He is a corporate director for Mainstay. Dr. Sorrell has served as the chair of the Board of Governors for the Dallas Foundation and co-chair for the Aspen Prize. He has also been a trustee for the American Council of Education.

President Sorrell is married to the former Natalie Jenkins. Natalie is an alumna of Spelman College and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. They have two children, Michael Augustus and Sage Louise-Sinclair.

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