Peter Eckel

Peter Eckel is a Senior Fellow and Director of Leadership Programs at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE), where he also co-directs the Penn Project on University Governance. He serves as founding director of Penn's first fully online international Master’s Program in Global Higher Education Management. With nearly 30 years of experience, he advises university leaders globally on governance, strategy, and institutional transformation. His work spans U.S. institutions like Penn State and the University of Michigan, as well as international projects in Kazakhstan, Mexico, India, and the UAE.

His research integrates governance, leadership, and strategy, emphasizing actionable tools like the Board Culture Profile. He has authored influential books on higher education governance and leadership, focusing on board dynamics, presidential transitions, and institutional change. Eckel engages actively with university boards and leaders through retreats and global collaborations, including work with the World Bank and United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia.

As a trustee at the University of La Verne, he chairs the Governance Committee. He writes frequently for Inside Higher Education and is quoted widely in media outlets like the Wall Street Journal and Chronicle of Higher Education.

His advisory and grant-related work includes designing leadership programs for new university presidents and co-developing governance frameworks for post-Soviet universities. Eckel's international projects highlight his focus on bridging theory with practice, such as his collaboration with Anant University in India on future learning strategies and his capacity-building initiatives in Mexico.