John Silvanus Wilson Jr.

John Silvanus Wilson, Jr. joined AASCU as the executive director of the Millennium Leadership Initiative in November 2021. Prior to joining AASCU, he served at Harvard University, first as a President in Residence at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, then as the Senior Advisor and Strategist to the Harvard President, where he guided the University’s launch of a new effort at equity, inclusion, and belonging. Prior to arriving at Harvard, he served in the first term under President Barack Obama as the executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He then served with distinction as the 11^th President of Morehouse College. Between 2001 and 2009, he was as an Associate Professor and an Executive Dean at the George Washington University. In 1985, he began his career with a 16-year stay at MIT, mostly as a senior fundraising official in two major capital campaigns. He has served on the boards of both Spelman College and Harvard University.

He received a bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College, a master’s of Theology from Harvard University, and both master’s and doctoral degrees in Administration, Planning and Social Policy, from Harvard University.