NACCE Reading Challenge with Dr. Mary Landon Darden
Discover how institutions are leading change through innovation.
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Event Details
In the face of an unprecedented and existential crisis in higher education, Transforming Higher Education delivers a powerful and timely message: institutions can not only survive—but thrive—through bold leadership, innovative thinking, and entrepreneurial action.
As part of NACCE’s Reading Challenge, join us for an engaging conversation with Dr. Mary Landon Darden, nationally recognized futurist and author, as we explore real-world success stories from institutions across the country that are redefining what is possible in higher education.
This session will highlight how colleges and universities are:
- Leveraging emerging technologies to drive student success and institutional growth
- Building industry and civic partnerships that create new opportunities and revenue streams
- Leading organizational transformation and innovation in times of disruption
- Developing creative, market-aligned strategies to increase enrollment and impact
- Advancing student and academic flourishing through bold, customized approaches
Grounded in practical examples and actionable insights, this conversation offers a roadmap for leaders seeking to navigate complexity, respond to change, and position their institutions for long-term success.
Drawing on decades of leadership and innovation, Dr. Darden—author of the award-winning Entrepreneuring the Future of Higher Education—brings both vision and practical guidance to this critical moment.
Whether you are a college president, faculty leader, workforce innovator, or ecosystem partner, this session will inspire new thinking and equip you with tools to lead transformation—now and into the future.
Dr. Mary Landon Darden
Dr. Mary Landon Darden is a higher education futurist, author, and leadership expert. She is the Founder and President of Higher Education Innovation LLC, which began in in 2015. The mission of HEI is to “transform higher education.” Darden is the author of three books co-published with the American Council on Education and Bloomsbury Publishing including “Entrepreneuring” the Future of Higher Education: Radical Transformation in Times of Profound Change (2021), which is the Winner of the 2021 American Book Fest Award (education/scholarly) and was named one of the “best higher education books of all time” by “Bookauthority.” This book is that rare nuts-and-bolts guide, based on research and experience, that provides the essential tools for colleges and universities to switch from barely surviving to thriving. Assisted by an impressive array experts and visionaries, Darden presents a do-able roadmap out of the morass of escalating costs and decreasing revenue. Beyond 2020: Envisioning the Future of Universities in America (2009) provides a detailed roadmap to the perils and promise of the Information Age – as it directly applies to the future of American universities. It was adopted as a textbook in the higher education administration doctoral program at Harvard University and is also being used as a strategic planning tool for a number of universities nationwide. It is designed for administrators and higher education scholars. Darden’s third book with co-writer Joanna Kile is titled Transforming Higher Education: How Bold and Innovative Leaders Entrepreneur the Future (2025) and shares success stories of entrepreneurial institutions, presidents, and administrators.
Darden served in higher education leadership in colleges and universities for more than two decades. She holds a doctorate from the Scholars of Practice program in Higher Education Administration at Baylor University. Her dissertation title is Women Presidents in Four-Year Colleges and Universities: An Analysis of Reported Changeable Attributes Contributing to Their Success (2006).
Darden has received awards for administrative achievements, including the 2001 National Exemplary Award in Community Education from The National Council of Continuing Education and Training. She was named by CIO Views magazine as one of the 2023 “Top Ten Most Visionary Leaders Transforming Education” She was named by CIO Views magazine as one of the 2023 “Top Ten Most Visionary Leaders Transforming Education,” by The Knowledge Review magazine as one of the “Most Inspirational Leaders Empowering the Education Sector in 2024,” and by The Leaders Globe magazine as one of the “Five Most Inspiring Leaders Transforming the Future of Higher Education in 2024.” Darden is a regular speaker on the topics of leadership and the future of higher education. She has been a keynote speaker for both national and international conferences, including ACE, CEPA, CAP, STATMATS, NCCET, The League for Innovation, and the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Through HEI, Darden works with colleges and universities preparing presidents and future presidents to transform their institutions.
Darden received the 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin and the 2024 Distinguished Baylor University Alumna Award from The Baylor Line Foundation. She has long been active in social justice issues and was recognized nationally for her work in mobilizing churches in Central Texas to respond to the humanitarian crisis following Hurricane Katrina.
Darden lives in Waco, Texas with her husband Baylor University Professor Emeritus Robert F. Darden. They have three grown children and four grandchildren. Website: https://www.heisuccess.com
