Michael Sorrell

Dr. Michael J. Sorrell is the longest-serving President in the 153-year history of Paul Quinn College. During his 18 years of leadership, Paul Quinn has become nationally celebrated for its ability to find innovative ways of addressing the needs of today’s students and their communities. Included among Paul Quinn’s numerous accomplishments during President Sorrell’s tenure are the following: improving graduation rates by more than 30%; reducing the average student loan debt by $30,0000; building the first new buildings on campus in 50 years; creating the Urban Work College Model; implementing a K-16 pipeline with several school districts in the DFW area, including partnering with Dallas Independent School District and KIPP Charter Schools to open two secondary schools on the PQC campus; winning the HBCU of the Year; transforming the football field into the WE over Me Farm; achieving full-accreditation from the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS); and rewriting all institutional fundraising records. Dr. Sorrell has been honored by Fortune Magazine (one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders); President George W. Bush Institute (Trailblazer Citation); HBCU Digest (as the only three-time recipient of the HBCU Male President of the Year Award); Education Dive (Higher Education’s President of the Year award); Time Magazine (as one of the “31 People Changing the South”), and many more. Michael received his J.D. and M.A. in Public Policy from Duke University and his Ed.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. Michael was a recipient of a Sloan Foundation Graduate Fellowship, which funded his studies at both Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government (as a graduate fellow) and Duke University. He graduated from Oberlin College with a B.A. in Government and captained the men’s varsity basketball team twice. Michael is a loving husband to his wife Natalie and a fully engaged father to his two children, Michael Augustus and Sage Louise-Sinclair.