Departing Education Dept. Official to Teach at NYU

Martha J. Kanter, who is stepping down this month as the Obama administration’s top higher-education official, will become a distinguished visiting professor at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, according to a news release from the university.

Ms. Kanter, who was the first community-college leader to be appointed as U.S. under secretary of education, announced in August that she would leave that post. During her four years in office, she oversaw the administration’s efforts to make the United States the leading nation in college completion, along with the introduction of the controversial gainful-employment rule, among other initiatives.

As part of her two-year appointment at NYU, which begins in January, Ms. Kanter will teach and advise students in the Steinhardt School’s program in higher and postsecondary education.

“Martha is a natural fit for our program in higher education,” Ann Marcus, director of the Steinhardt Institute of Higher Education Policy, said in the news release. “Her expertise in community colleges, federal higher-education policy, and federal initiatives for minority populations mirror many of our program priorities.”

Ms. Kanter provided further detail about her plans during a farewell party at the Education Department on Wednesday, according to the release. “The access, equity, and success of and for our nation’s students will be first and foremost on my mind,” she said.