Professor Brendan Cantwell became the Dr. Mildred B. Erickson Distinguished Chair in Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education in summer 2024. The endowed position — named after the mother of the late Dean Emeritus Bruce Erickson — enhances and supports the research of College of Education scholars.
Cantwell is the seventh to hold the role, which he will hold through 2027.
In this role, Cantwell will center his research efforts in two major threads:
- Examining further the future of public research universities in the United States
- Building the field of higher education studies in countries where postsecondary education is rapidly expanding
“Brendan Cantwell is a well-rounded scholar who conducts rigorous and thoughtful research, lends his time to service at the university and in the field, and engages with students.,” said Sheneka Williams, professor and chairperson of the Department of Educational Administration. The chairship is housed within the department. “Dr. Cantwell is a leader in the field of international higher education, a scholar who contributes broadly through his service and ability to communicate to a wide range of audiences, and a thoughtful commentator on the state of higher education in the United States in a comparative perspective. ”
Experienced researcher
In 2023, Cantwell co-authored and co-edited “Assessing the Contributions of Higher Education” (Edward Elgar Publishing). In 2018, he co-coedited the “Handbook on the Politics of Higher Education” (Edward Elgar Publishing).
Cantwell’s work has over 3,100 citations, and he has published his research in journals such as Higher Education, The Review of Higher Education, Policy Reviews in Higher Education and Higher Education Quarterly.
As program director of the new educational doctorate program in Leadership for Equity-minded Change in Postsecondary Education, Cantwell also oversees how current and future educational leaders grow, adapt and strategize for the field. Previously, Cantwell was the director for doctoral and master’s Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education (HALE) programs.
Imagining the future
Cantwell’s research and outcomes during his years as Erickson Chair will be collaborative.
He aims to continue long-standing efforts related to the role — including hosting an MSU-based conference on topics related to his research — and new ideas specific to his goals.
Some of the ideas are already in action. Since assuming the chairship, Cantwell has co-led an education abroad opportunity to Kazakhstan’s Women’s Pedagogical University.
Broader ideas will begin in the coming months and years. Cantwell is part of the MSU Alliance for African Partnerships (AAP) and was recently selected to co-lead a project to “coordinate self-studies at … 10 partner institutions on content that is intended to help steer government funding and philanthropic resources designed to support U.S.-African academic partnerships.”
“I am honored to have been selected as the Erickson Chair,” said Cantwell. “I am committed to doing important work that honors Dr. Erickson’s legacy and builds on the rich tradition established by my Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education colleagues who have previously held the chair.”
Cantwell will be formally honored with the chairship at the Michigan State University investiture ceremony on September 29. The twice-annual celebration honors faculty who hold endowed or named roles at the university or who have been named Fellows/Members of prestigious organizations, such as the National Academy of Education.