WASHINGTON – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has appointed Heritage Foundation visiting fellow Adam Kissel to the board of the University of West Florida. 

Kissel, who focuses on higher education within Heritage’s Center for Education Policy, is one of five appointees to the university’s Board of Trustees. Kissel, who also is a senior fellow at the Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy and visiting scholar at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher Education Programs within the U.S. Department of Education.  

“I am grateful to Governor DeSantis for nominating me to join the University of West Florida as a trustee,” Kissel said. “His work to improve higher education in Florida has been truly inspiring.” 

Lindsey Burke, director of Heritage’s Center for Education Policy, made the following statement: 

“Adam is a phenomenal choice to join the leadership team at UWF. His many decades of experience with higher education reform and his deep commitment to free speech and open academic inquiry make him an ideal choice to join the Board of Trustees. Now more than ever, higher education needs to rededicate itself to the pursuit of truth while preparing students for the world beyond the Ivory Tower. Gov. DeSantis’ appointment of Adam to the Board of Trustees shows Florida is once again leading the way on restoring the rigor and intellectual curiosity intended of higher education.”