Yale SOM Names Former Education Secretary Miguel Cardona as Faculty Fellow
Cardona will co-teach an elective course and work with school system leaders enrolled in programs run by The Broad Center at Yale SOM.
Miguel A. Cardona, the 12th secretary of education of the United States, will serve as a faculty fellow at Yale SOM for the 2025-26 academic year.
Cardona will share lessons from his career at all levels of public education, which includes serving as a teacher, principal, and leader at the top posts in both state and federal governments. He will co-teach the elective course Education Policy with Professor Seth Zimmerman and engage with school system leaders in multiple programs run by The Broad Center at Yale SOM, which fosters the ideas, collaboration, and leadership to help all students in K-12 public schools—particularly those from underserved communities—to learn and thrive.
Natasha Trivers, assistant dean and the Anita and Joshua Bekenstein ’80 B.A. Executive Director of The Broad Center at Yale SOM, noted that Cardona will bring a breadth of knowledge and leadership experience to Yale SOM. “Dr. Cardona’s deep experience as a public school teacher, a principal, and a system leader makes him such a dynamic addition to The Broad Center team of faculty and lecturers,” she said. “He brings a wealth of experience in the K-12 public education sector, and he has also recently launched Cardona Solutions, which is all about providing excellent college access resources to all families in America. We can’t wait to see Yale SOM students take advantage of all Dr. Cardona has to offer them.”
Cardona began his career as a fourth-grade teacher in Meriden, Connecticut. He also served as a school principal and a district leader before being appointed commissioner of education for the state of Connecticut. In March 2021, Cardona was confirmed as secretary of education and continued in that role throughout the Biden administration. As secretary, he focused on safely reopening and reimagining schools after COVID, overhauling higher education accountability, improving access and affordability to higher education, and providing upward economic mobility to more students across the country. Cardona earned a doctorate in education from the University of Connecticut.
Seth Zimmerman, a professor of economics who studies labor economics and public finance with a focus on the economics of education, said he looks forward to Cardona’s contributions to the school. “I'm thrilled to welcome Dr. Cardona to Yale SOM. His insights as a leader and policymaker will open many new opportunities for research, teaching, and impact,” said Zimmerman.
