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Register for the 2026 Dallas Herring Lecture with Dr. Vicki Karolewics, president of Wallace State Community College

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Dr. Vicki Karolewics. Courtesy of the Belk Center

Registration for the 12th annual Dallas Herring Lecture is now open. The virtual event, presented by the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research, will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.

The lecture honors the late W. Dallas Herring — whose efforts led to the founding of North Carolina’s community colleges — and brings together leaders from across the nation to “reflect on the most pressing and emerging issues facing community colleges nationwide, while working to envision how to pave a path forward,” according to a press release.

Dr. Vicki Karolewics, president of Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, Alabama, will deliver the 2026 lecture, titled, “The Value Agenda: A Systems Approach to Student Success.”

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Karolewics has been president of Wallace State, which serves roughly 8,000 students, since 2003.

In 2025, the college was recognized as a Rising Star for the 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. A report from the Aspen Institute on the 2025 prize wrote:

Wallace State Community College-Hanceville (AL) has consistently graduated well-prepared students to fill in-demand jobs across multiple sectors—welding, health care, manufacturing, and trucking—inspiring employers to invest so that talented students from the college service area, including Appalachian communities, have the equipment and work-based experiences needed to enter one of a growing number of good jobs.

— Report on the 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence

Then, in June, the college was again recognized as a top 10 finalist for the 2027 prize. In a press release on the 2027 prize, Wallace State’s strong labor market outcomes were noted — median earnings for graduates are 11% more per year than the living wage in the college’s service area.

“It is a true honor to participate in the Dallas Herring Lecture, which celebrates the transformative power of community colleges,” said Karolewics in the press release. “I am proud to represent Wallace State and the life-changing work we do every day — helping students build better futures for themselves, their families and their communities. This opportunity is both humbling and inspiring, and I am grateful to be part of a tradition that elevates student success and opportunity.”

According to the press release, Karolewics’ “guiding goal” is that every graduate gains a good job and earns wages that allow them to support themselves and their families.

“We have seen a growing emphasis in community colleges not just on boosting completion rates but ensuring students earn credentials of value that drive genuine economic mobility,” said Audrey Jaeger, executive director of the Belk Center and W. Dallas Herring Professor at NC State’s College of Education. “President Karolewics’ vision extends beyond what a ‘traditional’ community college looks like and has taken the work to a next generation level that aligns programs with well-paying, high-value workforce pathways.”

The virtual event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. You can register online here.