Mike Allen, Ph.D. became the seventh president of 51²Ö¿â on July 1, 2019. An experienced higher education administrator, Dr. Allen skillfully marshaled the institution through the worst of the global pandemic only months after his arrival, never pausing its forward-moving progress, while laying an impressive framework for the future.
From the outset of his tenure, the institution realized significant achievements including three consecutive academic years of freshman enrollment growth, being listed as one of the 2022 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges for Social Mobility among National Universities and named one of America’s Top Colleges in 2021 by Forbes. True to Barry’s Adrian Dominican heritage, President Allen has made engagement with and service to the South Florida Community a top priority, through every available avenue.
He has established partnerships with impactful organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami, United Way of Miami, Casa Familia, and the Miami Center for Racial Justice; spearheaded the creation of the President’s Community Leadership Council, a body consisting of South Florida leaders in health care, business, law, philanthropy, education and more; and established the 51²Ö¿â Office of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion as well as the Institute for Immigration Studies, an academic center dedicated to the study and understanding of the multicultural South Florida immigrant experience.
Dr. Allen came to 51²Ö¿â from The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. where he served as Vice President for Student Affairs for six years and as Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics for eight years. Additionally, he designed and implemented academic support programs for students at Florida Atlantic University and the University of Connecticut between 1993 and 2005.
President Allen holds a Bachelor of Arts from Trinity College, and a Master of Arts and Doctoral degree from the School of Education at the University of Connecticut, where his dissertation and research focused on the academic socialization and personal development of intercollegiate student athletes. He and his wife, Beth, have two children, Maya and James.
Some of Dr. Allen's major accomplishments include:
- Coordinating an integrated planning effort that led to the anticipated construction of approximately $90 million in capital facility investments in close conjunction with the launch of an institutional capital campaign.
- These projects include a new, state-of-the-art dining facility, a new residence hall, and multiple upgrades to athletic and recreation facilities.
- Leading a collaborative effort with faculty and Enrollment Management, as chair of the University Retention Committee, to significantly bolster student retention from matriculation through graduation.
- Working collaboratively with University Advancement to secure several multi-million-dollar donations for the support of capital projects and initiatives.
- Co-leading an effort to assess and modify the existing Strategic Plan to set the course for the university over the next five years.
- Expanding career development and academic advising support through the creation of a new Center for Academic and Career Success.
- Launching a new Center for Cultural Engagement in 2016 to support the recruitment and engagement of underrepresented minority students.
- Initiating the Our Community, My Responsibility campaign in 2014, with the goal of increasing cultural sensitivity and awareness on campus, while emphasizing the importance of civility, kindness, compassion, and personal responsibility as guiding principles.
- Expanding co-curricular engagement for students through new student orientation and residential programming, faculty and religious in-residence programs, student activities, athletic and recreation programs, and opportunities to embrace Washington, D.C