Transformative Academic Leadership with Proven Results

About Dr. Daniel Ibarrondo

My career includes 20+ years of high executive level work and dedication to institutions with strong missions that change lives. Currently holding executive authority over 70% of academic programs, a $6M budget, and over 30 faculty at Franklin Cummings Tech, I have secured over $100M+ in external funding over my career from NSF, DoED, NOAA, USDA, private and public foundations, and corporations.

I am passionate about higher education and dedicated to colleges and universities that serve traditionally underrepresented, historically marginalized, and first-generation college students. Having held executive and administrative leadership positions across New York, Florida, Massachusetts, and Puerto Rico, I bring a proven record of institutional transformation: launching the first MBA program in the U.S. with a core DEI concentration, leading turnarounds generating $10M+ and $14M+ in new revenue, commanding institution-wide crisis response for 1,000+ students during COVID-19, and serving 18 years as a presidential-level strategic advisor to multiple universities simultaneously.

Before higher education, I worked in private law practice in litigation, corporate, family, and civil matters, while teaching law, government, political science, and international relations in the evenings, which is where I discovered my passion for academia. I am bilingual (English/Spanish) and deeply experienced with NECHE, Middle States, and ABET accreditation.

Interested in connecting? Reach me on LinkedIn or email.

Education

Pepperdine University

  • Doctor of Education (Ed.D) in Learning and Educational Technologies

Seton Hall University

  • Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in Bilingual and Bicultural Education

Harvard University

  • Institute of Education Management - Executive Leadership Certification in Higher Education Management

State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law

  • Juris Doctor (J.D.)

Fordham University

  • Bachelor of Arts (B.A) with a major in Political Science and a minor in Puerto Rican Studies

Professional Experiences

Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Franklin Cummings Tech

  • Executive authority over 70% of the college’s academic programs, a $6M budget, and over 30 faculty across trade, technical, workforce development, continuing education, and general education divisions

  • Direct oversight of Automotive Technology, Construction Management, Electrical Engineering, Building Energy Management, HVAC&R Technology, Practical Electricity, Engineering Technology, Continuing Education & Workforce Programs, and General Education

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Cambridge College Global

  • Conceived and launched the nation’s first MBA program with a core DEI concentration (MBA-DEIB)

  • Directed college-wide DEI curriculum reform and faculty development across 70+ instructors

Associate Dean of Online Programming, Cambridge College

  • Commanded institution-wide COVID-19 academic response: migrated 400+ courses, trained 200+ faculty, supported 1,000+ students through the transition to remote learning

  • Negotiated a strategic online enrollment partnership with the U.S. Air Force (GEM Program)

Associate Dean for Online Learning, Quincy College

  • Delivered 425% enrollment growth and $4M in new revenue through end-to-end strategic design and execution

  • Implemented Quality Matters standards and trained 30+ faculty in QM, TechSmith Relay, and Canvas LMS

Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Advancement & Development Associates, Inc.

  • Founded and led a federal relations and institutional development consulting practice retained directly by university presidents. Over 18 years, generated $100M+ in external funding (career total) and provided executive-level strategic counsel on academic affairs, accreditation, enrollment, facilities, and governance. Multiple institutions retained me concurrently over extended periods, a direct result of consistently delivering measurable outcomes.

Advisor to the President, Caribbean University–Bayamon

  • Secured $10M+ for new campus construction and $2M Title V funding each for the Bayamon and Ponce Campuses; led successful Middle States Association (MSA) reaccreditation

Advisor to the President, Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico

  • Secured $15M+ from NSF and the U.S. Department of Education for STEM program development, ABET accreditation, and external campus expansion in Florida

Advisor to the President, Atlantic University College

  • Coordinated the transformation from junior college to a top-tier multimedia, graphic, and design arts institution, generating $10M+ in new revenue; secured $6M+ in federal funding for new academic programs

Executive Director, Institutional Development & Sponsored Programs, Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico

  • Directly obtained $14M+ in U.S. Department of Education funding for university-wide STEM institutional projects

  • Designed and launched the nation’s first Hispanics in Engineering National Conference (2004), convening 100+ engineering colleges and national institutions

Director, Corporate, Foundations & Government Relations, Southeastern University

  • Secured a $10M single-gift commitment from a private corporation

Special Assistant to the Chancellor for International & External Affairs, University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez

  • Obtained $10M+ in government and corporate funding, including a $6M NOAA research vessel gift for the Marine Science doctoral program

Director, School of Professional Studies, Pratt Institute

  • Built international study-abroad revenue streams (Denmark, France, Italy) still active today

  • Grew Pre-College Program enrollment from 60 to 120 students

Associate Dean of Extension Centers, Mercy College

  • Increased full-time enrollment from 400 to over 1,500 students in 8 months

“Twenty-first-century instructors should possess an “Asset” mindset, not an industrial- age “Deficit” mindset. An asset mindset focuses on the strengths of each individual learner, while a deficit mindset focuses on any “limitations” a student may have. Every student has a manner in which they best excel.”

— Dr. Daniel Ibarrondo

Awards And Recognitions

  • Instructional Technology Council (ITC) Leadership Academy

  • Brooklyn Borough President Proclamation for Community Educational Services

  • Seton Hall University Graduate Fellowship

  • Fordham University Distinguished HEOP Alumni Award - 25th Anniversary

  • SUNY Buffalo School of Law - Dale S. Margulis Award for Leadership in the Law School and Community

  • American Bar Association Journalism Award

  • SUNY Buffalo School of Law - Legal Methods Achievement Award

“It is imperative that in today’s changing and pivotal landscape for higher education, faculty need to be prepared to meet and teach each and every student as they arrive in the classroom. Many times the question is not whether the student is “college ready” but whether the college is student ready.”

— Dr. Daniel Ibarrondo

Thought Leadership

Keynote Speaker — “Beyond Traditional Metrics: Leading the Transformation in AI-Era Education” Jan 2026

International Seminar on Quality Assurance in Online Education, Professional Institute IPLACEX • Santiago, Chile

•  Delivered keynote on student competency-centered quality assurance in digital education, presenting a framework for measuring authentic learning in the AI era

•  Ibarrondo, D. (2026). Measuring What Matters: Assessment for the AI Era — Three AI Frameworks for Higher Education Quality Assurance (1.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19010092

Speaker — “Belonging as an Environmental Life Skill: Navigating Social and Physical Spaces for Well-Being and Adaptation” Oct 2024

P20 Talks 2024, 6th International Conference • Cape Town, South Africa

•  Presented at the world’s only international conference for life skills professionals, addressing well-being and adaptation in educational and social environments

 

Board and Volunteer Leadership

•   President & Board Member, Fundación Pedro Albizu Campos, Inc. (2024–Present)

•   Vice President & Board Member, The Global Presence – Parenting 2.0 (2018–Present)

•   Vice President & Board Member, National Hispanic Asthmatic Assistance Foundation, Inc. (2005–2009)

•   President’s Advisory Council, Board Member, Atlantic University College (2001–2003)

•   Executive Director & Board Member, Community Organization Legal Assistance Project – National Conference of Black Lawyers (1989–1991)

•   Board Member, University at Buffalo School of Law Alumni Association (1990–1992)

Choose Love Founder, Scarlett Lewis, Receives The Global Presence 2019 Humanitarian Award

View Here

My Mentor

Manuel del Valle, Esq., has been my mentor, advisor, colleague, and friend for decades, and remains so today. A former professor whose influence shaped how I think about law, leadership, and service, Manuel exemplifies what it means to use expertise in the service of others.

His credentials speak for themselves: a B.A. from Princeton, a J.D. from Yale Law School, and an LL.M. in International Law from the London School of Economics. He has built a distinguished career as an Administrative Law Judge with deep expertise in Alternative Dispute Resolution, Civil Rights Law, and Disability Discrimination, and has guided generations of students into the legal profession.

The hallmarks of his leadership are shaped by the generosity of his counsel, the sharpness of his thinking, and the constancy of his presence at every stage of my career. I am grateful.