M. René Islas Named to National Education Advisory Board
M. René Islas Named to National Education Advisory Board
WASHINGTON — M. René Islas of B&D; Consulting has been named to serve as a member of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities' (APLU) Office for Access and the Advancement of Public Black Universities' (OAAPBU) Advisory Board. His term runs from 2011 through 2014.
Supporting education for underserved, low income and first generation college attendees, APLU is a nonprofit association consisting of public research universities, land-grant institutions and state university systems. With 218 member campuses covering all 50 states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia, the association is dedicated to advancing learning, discovery and engagement by providing a forum for the discussion and development of policies and programs affecting higher education and the public interest.
APLU, whose national office is in Washington, D.C., is governed by a chair and board of directors elected from the member universities and university systems. Membership includes 76 U.S. land-grant institutions, of which 18 are the historically black institutions. In addition, the association represents the interests of the nation's 33 American Indian land-grant colleges through the membership of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC).
Member institutions enroll more than 3.5 million undergraduate students and 1.1 million graduate students, employ more than 645,000 faculty members, and conduct nearly two-thirds of all federally-funded academic research, totaling more than $34 billion annually.
With roots going back to 1887, APLU is the nation's oldest higher education association. In 1963, the American Association of Land-Grant Colleges and Universities merged with the National Association of State Universities to form the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges. In 2009, the association adopted the name Association of Public and Land-grant Universities or APLU.
Islas is a Senior Vice President at B&D; Consulting where he leads the firm's education team that provides public and private sector clients with comprehensive strategies to dramatically improve educational effectiveness. Islas has nearly a decade of experience leading education reform through practical and policy work at the federal, state and local levels.
Islas created B&D; Consulting's school improvement framework that is currently being implemented in more than a dozen of the lowest performing schools across the U.S. He joined B&D; Consulting after several years of experience in education public policy, working in the government and nonprofit sectors.
Islas previously served as the Chief of Staff to the Assistant Secretary of Education. He managed the overall operations, policy development and administration of programs within the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, particularly programs within the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. He also has experience representing the Department of Education on issues of teacher quality and working with coalitions of state government education agencies in an effort to address teacher supply and demand. Islas advised and supported the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans.
ABOUT B&D; CONSULTING
B&D; Consulting is a national advisory and advocacy firm based in Washington, D.C. since 1985. Whether developing a business or advancing a mission, the firm's professionals serve clients across key sectors of the U.S. economy, including local government, health and life sciences, energy, education, and financial services. B&D; Consulting is a division of Baker & Daniels LLP, an international law firm with offices in Indiana, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Beijing. For more information about B&D; Consulting or Baker & Daniels, visit www.bakerdconsulting.com or www.bakerdaniels.com.