The ACE Fellows Program, established in 1965, is a leadership experience designed to advance leadership readiness, strengthen institutional capacity and build leadership in American higher education. The ACE Fellows Program combines retreats, interactive learning, campus visits and placement at another higher education institution to condense years of on-the-job experience and skills development into a single semester or year. The Fellows are included in the highest level of decision making while participating in administrative activities.
“Dr. Palm is a very impressive academic leader in American higher education,” said University of Maryland, Baltimore County, President Freeman Hrabowski III, Palm's ACE mentor. “He has had experience at a variety of academic institutions and understands the important role that culture and climate play in the life of a campus. Most important, he understands that a University is first and foremost an academic enterprise. He was very effective while working on our campus with people from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. He has a stellar future."
Palm gained insight into the operations of a groundbreaking institution whose commitment to innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and inclusiveness has earned a national reputation for excellence in academics, research, and student success. He was also mentored by President Jay Perman, University of Maryland Baltimore. He expanded his understanding of the operations of the only state university in Maryland whose interdisciplinary programs and research efforts are devoted to healthcare, human services and law.
“I am truly honored to have represented Florida A&M University as a 2011-2012 ACE Fellow,” said Palm. “The year-long fellowship was a transformational experience which provided a unique opportunity to enhance my executive administrative leadership skills, while focusing on innovative strategies to enhance learning, enrollment, retention and graduation in STEM Programs at FAMU.”
Palm earned his doctorate in pharmacology from Pennsylvania State University, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and his bachelor of arts degree in chemistry from Lincoln University of Pennsylvania. He completed his training as a post-doctoral research fellow at Brown University Medical School/Rhode Island Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery.
Palm has garnered several million dollars in funding and has received many research and teaching awards. In his current position, he provides academic administrative oversight to the schools, colleges, institutes and ancillary service departments that report to the Office of Academic Affairs. He is also the project director of the Title III funded activity “Innovative Academic Instruction Project.” The project seeks to improve the overall quality of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education at the University through increasing its efficiency in producing STEM students that successfully complete core courses and ultimately complete their program of study in the STEM disciplines.