Michigan Consortium for Higher Education in Prison announces Jeff Abernathy as founding president

LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Consortium for Higher Education in Prison (MiCHEP) has appointed Jeff Abernathy as the organization’s founding president. MiCHEP is a statewide consortium of Michigan colleges and universities devoted to expanding and improving higher education for incarcerated students through collaboration, shared best practices, and policy leadership. The consortium partners with the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) to strengthen educational quality and access across prison learning sites statewide.

MiCHEP was founded in May 2023 and is governed by a steering committee chaired by Richard Ray, co-director emeritus of the Hope–Western Prison Education Program and former Hope College provost. As president, Abernathy will lead the effort to sustain and grow quality higher education in prison programs across the state. He will oversee fundraising, external relations, program strategy and advocacy initiatives, while serving as MiCHEP’s principal spokesperson.

“MiCHEP is pleased to welcome Jeff Abernathy as its founding president. He brings a rare combination of experience as an academic leader, institutional executive and college-in-prison practitioner — positioning him to guide Michigan’s college-in-prison ecosystem into its next phase of growth,” said Ray. “Jeff’s leadership will strengthen efforts to expand access to high-quality college education for incarcerated students, advancing dignity, personal agency and economic opportunity. His depth of experience enables him to contribute immediately as a field leader, to the benefit of communities across Michigan.”

Abernathy brings executive leadership, coalition-building, fundraising and a student-centered commitment to building durable statewide infrastructure for college-in-prison programs. He served for 14 years as president of Alma College, where he led major strategic initiatives in enrollment, community engagement, and institutional effectiveness, and guided a record-setting comprehensive campaign that raised $125 million. Under his leadership, Alma strengthened its civic footprint through initiatives such as the Center for College and Community Engagement. Abernathy’s commitment to higher education in prison is grounded in his experience teaching Alma College literature classes at Carson City Correctional Facility. Abernathy retains his faculty appointment at Alma.

“When I stepped away from the college presidency, I knew I wanted to devote this next phase of my career to higher education in prison. I’m honored to have the opportunity to support the remarkable college-in-prison programs across Michigan and the educators and leaders who built them with such care and devotion. I am inspired by Rich Ray’s success in leading MiCHEP through these formative years, and all of us involved with the organization are indebted to him,” said Abernathy. 

“The state of Michigan has established itself as a national leader in providing access to quality postsecondary opportunities for those who are incarcerated, thanks to the partnership among MDOC, MiCHEP, and its member institutions,” said Heidi Washington, director of MDOC. “I’d like to thank Richard Ray for his tireless work to advance this mission, and I look forward to working with Jeff Abernathy to further expand opportunities and support within these programs, which reduce recidivism and improve economic outcomes for participants.”

“Jeff Abernathy is exactly the kind of leader MiCHEP needs for this next chapter — deeply experienced, values-driven and committed to expanding opportunity through education,” said Ryan Fewins-Bliss, executive director of MCAN, which serves as fiscal agent for MiCHEP. “MCAN is thrilled to be reunited with Dr. Abernathy after years of working together during his tenure as president of Alma College. Jeff was an early investor in MCAN’s AdviseMI AmeriCorps program and is a strong supporter of college access efforts aligned with the state’s Sixty by 30 goal.”

Abernathy will begin as president July 1. 

For more information about MiCHEP, visit michep.org.