MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. – Already a respected leader and academic administrator within the State University of New York, Dr. Erika Hackman received national acclaim for her work Monday (April 13) when the SUNY Orange provost was presented with the American Association of Community Colleges 2026 “Rising Star Executive” award.

Selected from among four finalists in her award category, Hackman was one of 10 award winners feted during the AACC’s annual Awards of Excellence gala, the highlight event of the Association’s annual conference in Seattle, Wash.

The award concludes an impressive two months for Hackman, who was part of SUNY Orange’s presentation team in late February when the College earned the prestigious 2026 national Bellwether Award in the Instructional Programs and Services category at the Community College Futures Assembly. SUNY Orange was chosen for its transformational work in redesigning its math placement process and streamlining its developmental math course sequence. In mid-March, Hackman accompanied a second SUNY Orange presentation team to the 2026 League for Innovation in Community Colleges Conference where SUNY Orange was selected to showcase its use of Orange Connect, its locally branded Starfish platform, as a centralized hub for student support and academic intervention.

“We've always known that Erika was a star, but now the entire nation knows it. The AACC Awards of Excellence represent the highest recognition our field can bestow,” said Dr. Kristine Young, SUNY Orange president. “Over the past decade, she has been a transformative force at SUNY Orange, reshaping our academic affairs division and bringing that same visionary leadership to student services. Her work is a masterclass in what it means to lead with purpose: centering students, driving innovation, and never losing sight of our core mission to support access, opportunity, and success for all.

“Excellence at this level is never accidental. What sets Erika apart is her genuineness and her skillful ability to make everyone around her better, and she has done that with integrity, with humility, and with an unwavering commitment to the communities we serve. She has helped position SUNY Orange not merely as a participant in the national conversation about the future of higher education, but as a voice that is helping shape it. This recognition belongs to her, and it reflects the excellence the entire SUNY Orange community strives for every day.”

“I'm truly honored to receive the Rising Star Executive award from the American Association of Community Colleges, and I'm very proud of the transformative, student-centered work that is happening at SUNY Orange,” Hackman said. “I'm grateful for the unwavering support of President Young and my dedicated colleagues in academic affairs and student services, who have trusted in me and collaborated with me to advance our shared commitment to student success.

“I've experienced and witnessed firsthand how community colleges change lives, and this award deepens my resolve to continue advocating for the students we serve and the innovative practices that help them thrive,” Hackman added. “I'm inspired by this moment to push even further in our mission to empower students and ensure every student has the opportunity to achieve their dreams.”

Now in her 10^th year at SUNY Orange, Hackman joined the College’s leadership team as vice president for academic affairs in 2016. In 2023 she was elevated to the role of provost, retaining her academic affairs oversight and title while adding responsibilities as vice president for student services.

Hackman directs the College’s academic affairs division—as the College offers 38 degree and certificate programs to a student body of more than 4,000 full- and part-time students—and also oversees SUNY Orange’s libraries, academic support services, Honors Program, Phi Theta Kappa, and Center for Teaching and Learning. Additionally, she provides executive leadership for the student services division, including Admissions, Academic Advising, Accessibility Services, Career Services, Financial Aid, the Registrar’s Office, Wellness Center, Center for Student Involvement, Student Services Central, Testing Center, and opportunity programs for students including TRiO, EOP, CSTEP, and ASAP. Over the past year, she has managed the College’s implementation of the SUNY Reconnect program offering tuition-free community college education in high-demand fields to eligible New York State residents ages 25 to 55.

Hackman currently serves as co-chair of the State University of New York (SUNY) Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Advisory Committee, is a member of the SUNY Transfer Task Force and the New York State Community Colleges Leadership Academy Advisory Board. From 2023 through 2025, she was chair of the New York Association of Chief Academic Officers. She has recently joined EAB’s (formerly known as the Education Advisory Board) national Research Advisory Council.

In her time at SUNY Orange, Hackman spearheaded the College’s acquisition of a $2.9 million Title V grant from the U.S. Department of Education shortly after SUNY Orange was designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution. The grant, entitled “PROSPERAR: Moving Students from Surviving to Thriving”, is designed to transform the students’ experience and significantly increase students’ retention and completion, especially for Hispanic and low-income students.  Hackman also served as the executive lead for the College’s successful 2023-2024 Middle States Commission on Higher Education Self Study and Reaccreditation.

Her memberships and affiliations include: past president, National Council of Instructional Administrators (affiliate council of the American Association of Community Colleges), from 2021-present; commissioner, American Association of Community Colleges Commission on Structured Pathways from 2022-25; and trustee, Vision Hudson Valley from 2021-present.

Prior to joining SUNY Orange, Hackman served as the first-ever dean of learning support at Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois–a position designed to ensure a cohesive, comprehensive, and effective learning experience for both students and employees.  As dean, Hackman oversaw all academic support services, the first-year experience program, the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, and served as project director for the college’s $2.1 million Title III grant.

In September 2014, Hackman received the 2014-15 Community College Leadership Award from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Department of Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership. The award recognizes outstanding academic and professional accomplishments in the two-year college environment.

Hackman completed her Education Policy, Organization and Leadership doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She earned both her bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and a master’s of education degree in human resource development from UIUC and an associate’s degree from Southwestern Illinois College (formerly Belleville Area College).

Caption:

SUNY Orange Provost Dr. Erika Hackman (second from left) was selected as the recipient of the American Association of Community College’s 2026 national “Rising Star Executive” award winner. She received the award during the AACC’s recent Awards of Excellence Gala at the Association’s annual conference in Seattle, Wash., and was joined by, from left, Leigh Goodson, president of Tulsa Community College and chair of the AACC Board of Directors’ Executive Committee; Seamus Riley, president of Carl Sandburg College and a former colleague from Parkland College; and DeRionne Pollard (left), AACC president and chief executive officer.