West Point Leader Joins College For Every Student Board

CFES President & CEO Rick Dalton presents an award to West Point’s Chief Diversity Officer LTC(R) Don Outing at the 2014 CFES National Conference in Burlington, VT (Credit: CFES)

College For Every Student announced today that LTC(R) Don Outing, Chief Diversity Officer at the United States Military Academy at West Point, has been elected to College For Every Student’s board of directors.

“I have long admired and respected the work CFES does in helping underserved students prepare for college and career success,” remarked Outing. “The organization has a global reputation for raising the academic aspirations and performance of low-income youth and I am deeply honored to join them in this endeavor.”

College For Every Student works with 200 schools across the United States and in Ireland to help underserved, first-generation students become college and career ready. Each Scholar engages in the three CFES core practices- Mentoring, Leadership Through Service, and Pathways to College & Career- that help students develop the Essential Skills such as raised aspirations, teamwork, leadership, grit and adaptability.

As the Chief Diversity Officer, Outing has developed and implemented strategies to successfully sustain West Point as a national leader in diversity through inclusive policies and practices. He is also the founding director of West Point’s Center for Leadership and Diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), which aims to increase the representation of underrepresented minority and underserved demographic groups in STEM fields.

“Over the last four years, Don has provided incredible opportunities and learning experiences for CFES Scholars through our West Point partnership,” said Rick Dalton, CFES’ chief executive. “His leadership, experience in STEM, and commitment to providing education opportunities, will be extremely valuable to CFES as we continue to prepare our students for college and careers in the new world.”

Dr. Outing holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from The University of the State of New York, a Master of Science degree and a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Prior to his current position, Dr. Outing served eight years as a senior leader in the Department of Mathematical Sciences providing military and academic leadership to a department of seventy faculty members responsible for teaching over 2500 cadets each semester.

“It has always been a part of my life’s work to expand the pipeline of college bound students from underrepresented populations and I look forward to working with CFES on this mission,” said Outing.

To learn more about College For Every Student, visit www.collegefes.org

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About CFES Brilliant Pathways

CFES Brilliant Pathways is a global leader in helping K-12 underserved students from rural and urban communities become college and career ready, giving students an opportunity to forge their own route to a bright future. For 29 years, CFES has worked closely with schools, colleges and businesses in urban and rural areas to help students become college and career ready through mentoring and by equipping them with the EssentialSkills that include perseverance, agility, goal setting, networking, teamwork and leadership (www.brilliantpathways.org)