David Weerts

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Biographical Abstracts

David J. Weerts is professor of higher education in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and associate vice provost for public engagement for the University of Minnesota System.

As associate vice provost, he supports faculty across the University of Minnesota system as they incorporate community-engaged practices to enhance the quality and impact of their research, teaching, and service. Over the past 25 years, Professor Weerts’ research and teaching have focused on higher education leadership and organizations, particularly in the areas of university-community engagement, state financing of higher education, and institutional advancement. His research on these topics has appeared in leading academic journals including Teachers College Record, The Journal of Higher Education, Research in Higher Education, and Review of Higher Education.

Weerts is active in national leadership initiatives to support university engagement and outreach across the U.S. and internationally. He served two terms on the executive committee for the Council on Engagement and Outreach for the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities and currently serves on the board of directors for the Seed Coalition (formerly Iowa-Minnesota Campus Compact). In addition, he directs the Engagement Academy for University Leaders, a professional development program designed for mid-career and senior leaders of engagement. The program has trained over 1,200 leaders across 160 institutions and 5 countries. Weerts earned a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Areas of Expertise

• Higher education leadership and organizations
• Institutionalization of community engagement in higher education
• State-university relations
• Philanthropy and institutional advancement in higher education