The University of St. Thomas has named Dr. Lily Asrat as the next director of the Ciresi Walburn Leadership Fellows program. She will begin her role in August 2026.
Asrat brings experience in leadership development, fellowship programming, higher education and global service. She currently serves as country director for the U.S. Peace Corps in Uganda, where she leads volunteer training and leadership development initiatives.
Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Asrat spent part of her childhood in Nairobi, Kenya, before moving to the United States. She earned her doctorate from the University of California, Los Angeles.
“My passion for social justice, particularly in education and health, has guided nearly every choice I have made,” Asrat wrote in a recent letter to fellows in the program. "I am motivated by the opportunity to accompany and support students and early career professionals."
Her work has focused on helping students and emerging leaders build skills through mentorship, service-learning, and experiential learning opportunities. She has held leadership and student development roles at several universities and has also worked in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for Teach For America.
"Throughout the search process, Dr. Asrat impressed us not only with her experience and accomplishments but also with her clear sense of purpose and belief in the power of leadership development," said Mike Ciresi '68, board chair of the Ciresi Walburn Foundation and a St. Thomas trustee. "We are thrilled that she will be leading the Fellows program at the University of St. Thomas."
The Ciresi Walburn Leadership Fellows, supported by The Ciresi Walburn Foundation, was founded in 2018 to support primarily first-generation students committed to leadership, service, social justice, as a way to empower the next generation. Today, the program consists of four cohorts, one for each graduating class.
The search was led by Dr. Lisa Waldner in collaboration with the university’s Human Resources team.
Ciresi Walburn Leadership Foundation
