The Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research is pleased to announce that Jason Wood, Ph.D., former president of 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence winner Southwest Wisconsin Technical College will present the 2025 Dallas Herring Lecture. 

The Dallas Herring Lecture honors the legacy of W. Dallas Herring, whose visionary leadership and dedicated efforts led to the founding of North Carolina’s community colleges. The annual lecture brings together community college leaders from across the state and nation to reflect on the most pressing and emerging issues facing community colleges nationwide, while working to envision how to pave a path forward. The 2025 lecture, titled “We Don’t Graduate People Into Poverty: Designing the College Experience Around Student Success,” will take place on Tuesday, November 18 at 11 a.m. Eastern Time. 

Dr. Wood most recently served as the sixth president of Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, bringing extensive experience in higher education through leadership roles in recruitment, college preparation and student services at community colleges in Oregon. Before joining Southwest Tech, he also served as executive vice president for student and academic services at Central Wyoming College. Dr. Wood was recently named Vice President of Salt Lake City Technical College.

When he arrived at Southwest Tech, President Wood prioritized meaningful engagement with students, faculty and staff, and immersed himself in hands-on learning experiences and classroom activities. He believes the best leadership begins with listening, learning and walking alongside those he serves, guided by a strong commitment to connection, empathy and shared experience. Under Dr. Wood’s leadership, the college focused on expanding student access, fostering success and ensuring long-term sustainability through innovation. With a culture rooted in transparency, empowerment and accountability, Southwest Tech is dedicated to its mission of improving lives through excellence in learning.

In April 2025, Southwest Tech was awarded the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence – the nation’s highest honor for outstanding achievement and performance in higher education. The college earned this recognition for its exceptional graduation rates, particularly among lower-income students, and for the strong wage outcomes of its graduates, who earn nearly $14,000 more than the regional average within five years. Guided by a mission to “never graduate anyone into poverty,” Southwest Tech demonstrates how a rural college can achieve remarkable results through innovative leadership and a culture of continuous improvement – values championed by Dr. Wood and woven into the fabric of the institution. 

“This opportunity to give the 2025 Dallas Herring Lecture honors not just legacy, but urgency. Our systems must work better for more students, in more ways, for long-term success,” said Dr. Wood. “Designing the college experience around helping students earn a living wage is an exciting way to rethink how we help more students be successful.”

“Dr. Wood’s leadership reflects a clear commitment to access, innovation and the transformative power of education,” said Audrey Jaeger, Ph.D., W. Dallas Herring Professor at the NC State College of Education and executive director of the Belk Center. “His work not only aligns deeply with the values of the Dallas Herring Lecture but also resonates with North Carolina’s growing need for skilled workers and strong workforce outcomes. We’re honored to have him share his insights this year.”

Immediately following the lecture, a moderated fireside chat will bring together North Carolina community college leaders and their workforce partners for a dynamic conversation on how they are meeting – and sustaining – the evolving workforce needs of their regions. 

How to Watch

About Jason S. Wood, Ph.D.
Jason S. Wood, Ph.D., strives to help more students succeed, especially those who need it the most. Coining the rallying cry, “We don’t graduate people into poverty,” Wood was one of many people who helped Southwest Tech transform how they served students inside and outside the classroom, ultimately winning the 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.  With more than two dozen years of experience in education, including as a teacher and a custodian, Wood has worked across multiple states to improve outcomes for students and communities. Rooted in the belief that authentic work-based learning changes lives, he serves all students as individual people – especially those who face the greatest barriers – through bold innovation, strategic partnerships, and a relentless commitment to excellence. Wood holds a Ph.D. in Community College Leadership from Oregon State University and is widely recognized for his work in institutional transformation and genuine care for individual students.  

About the Dallas Herring Lecture
Held in honor of W. Dallas Herring – whose transformative vision and tireless work culminated in the inception of North Carolina’s community colleges – the annual lecture invites community college leaders from across the country to speak on urgent and emerging topics, framing how to address the issues and proposing a path forward. 

Since 2015, the Belk Center has welcomed college presidents, educational researchers, nonprofit leaders and philanthropists to engage in critical and emerging conversations about student success, post secondary transformation, economic vitality and student outcomes.