September 15, 2025
San Diego Mesa College Receives Insight Into Academia 2025 Higher Education Excellence
and Distinction (HEED) Award
By Office of Communications
San Diego, CA — September 15, 2025 — Today, San Diego Mesa College received the 2025
Higher Education Excellence and Distinction (HEED) Award from Insight Into Academia
magazine. The annual HEED Award is a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and
universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to academic excellence, belonging,
and community-building across all levels of campus life.
Mesa College will be featured in the October 2025 issue of Insight Into Academia magazine,
alongside 61 other recipients, including eight community colleges. This marks the
first time Mesa College has received the Higher Education Excellence and Distinction
Award.
“Receiving the HEED Award affirms Mesa College’s ongoing commitment to equity, excellence,
and belonging. This recognition reflects the daily work of our community to ensure
every student feels seen, supported, and empowered to succeed.” — Dr. Ashanti T. Hands,
President, San Diego Mesa College
“We take a detailed and somewhat holistic approach to reviewing each application in
determining who will be named a HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and
we look for institutions where academic excellence and belonging are woven into the
work being done every day across their campus,” said Lenore Pearlstein, Co-Publisher
of Insight Into Academia magazine.
For more information about San Diego Mesa College, visit
www.sdmesa.edu
Recipients of the 2025 HEED Award are:
Undergraduate Institutions
Arkansas State University
California State University San Marcos
California State University, Fullerton
Framingham State University
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Millersville University of Pennsylvania
New York Institute of Technology
Northern Illinois University
Oklahoma State University
Portland State University
Rochester Institute of Technology
San Diego State University
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Texas Christian University
University at Albany, State University of New York
University of California, Berkeley
University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Boston
University of Massachusetts Lowell
University of New Hampshire
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Johns Hopkins School of Education
Suffolk University School of Law
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Anne Arundel Community College
Community College of Aurora
Hudson County Community College
Rockland Community College
William Rainey Harper College
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About Insight Into Academia

Insight Into Academia magazine is the leader in advancing best practices in higher
education excellence and belonging. Through thought-provoking print and online articles,
Insight shares expert advice, valuable resources, in-depth profiles of top programs
at colleges and universities, headline news, and much more to help keep readers informed
and empower them to advance initiatives at their institutions.
At Insight’s online Career Center, readers will also discover career opportunities
that connect job seekers with hundreds of institutions. Current, archived, and digital
issues of Insight Into Academia magazine are available online at insightintoacademia.com.
Tags: Higher Education Excellence and Distinction (HEED) Award, Insight Into Academia, Press Release