Dr. Kym Acuna, dean of the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences, is one of 24 leaders chosen for the fellowship's 11th cohort.
Dr. Kym Acuña, dean of the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences at Wayne State College, has been named an Impact Academy fellow through the national non-profit organization Deans for Impact (DFI). Acuña joins a cohort of leaders chosen for their commitment to strengthening educator preparation and ensuring future teachers are prepared to meet the needs of all students.
Educator-preparation leaders today are navigating a rapidly-evolving landscape, from emerging technologies like AI and new strategic staffing models to reading and math instructional policy shifts, tightening budgets, enrollment pressures, and changing workforce needs. More than ever, the field needs leaders who can guide change with clarity, courage, and care while keeping student learning at the center.
DFI aims to support this need through its Impact Academy fellowship, which has developed a national network of nearly 200 education deans and executive-level leaders who are today working within and beyond educator preparation to strengthen teaching and learning. The fellowship supports leaders to prioritize evidence-based instruction, navigate their teams through continuous change, deepen partnerships with schools and communities, and build accessible, high-quality pathways into teaching.
Acuña is one of 24 leaders announced as part of the fellowship's 11th cohort. This year's fellows represent a wide range of contexts and communities in which future teachers are prepared, including public and private universities, community colleges, national programs, school districts, and innovative teacher-preparation pathways. Together, they share a commitment to strengthening systems of education so that more students are taught by well-prepared teachers.
“Preparing the next generation of educators is both a profound responsibility and an incredible opportunity,” said Acuña. “I am grateful to join the 2026-2027 Impact Academy Fellowship and collaborate with fellow educator-preparation leaders from across the country. This experience will help strengthen our efforts at Wayne State College to inspire, support, and develop exceptional teachers who are equipped to meet the needs of today’s learners and positively impact the future of education.”
Fellows will participate in in-person and virtual monthly cohort-based learning, receive one-on-one coaching from veteran leaders, and engage in peer consultancies focused on the field's most pressing challenges. Over the course of the year, they will workshop solutions to adaptive challenges: complex problems leaders face when change depends not only on technical or structural fixes, but on shifting mindsets, relationships, and ways of working.
“Educator-preparation leaders are being asked to make important decisions in a moment of rapid change,” said Valerie Sakimura, CEO of DFI. “This cohort of leaders stands out for their willingness to engage in complexity with deep care for students, their learning, and their futures. We’re excited to support these leaders as they meet the moment and help ensure every student is taught by well-prepared teachers.”
Learn more about this year’s Impact Academy cohort
Acuña has more than 25 years of educational experience in schools as a high school and middle school teacher, middle school principal, college professor, and department chair. She was founding principal of a middle school in Zacatecas, Mexico, where she lived for 15 years. She has been actively involved in the community promoting student success and educational opportunities for underserved students.
Acuña was the recipient of the 2022 Charles Dunn Award from the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC). Her areas of expertise and academic interest are personal and school leadership, social justice in education, student success, and service-learning.
Acuña earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Political Science from Ouachita Baptist University, her Master of Education degree from Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, and her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, Administration, and Policy from Pepperdine University.
About Deans for Impact (DFI)
Deans for Impact (DFI) is a national non-profit organization committed to ensuring that every child is taught by a well-prepared teacher. DFI supports educator-preparation programs to bring the science of learning into teaching practice; partners with policymakers to ensure pathways into teaching are instructionally-focused, practice-based, accessible, and innovative and responsive; and equips leaders with the tools to address today’s most pressing challenges in educator preparation.
Guided by principles of learning science, DFI aims to help aspiring and early-career teachers create rigorous and affirming classrooms where all children thrive.