New York, NY — Heterodox Academy (HxA), a non-partisan organization dedicated to strengthening institutions of higher education by advocating for viewpoint diversity, open inquiry, and constructive disagreement, has welcomed Michael Regnier as its new executive director.
“Michael brings a creative, entrepreneurial mindset to the senior-level management of our organization. We are delighted to have him as our new executive director,” said John Tomasi, HxA’s inaugural president.
Regnier, a longtime member of HxA, co-founded LEEP Dual Language Academy, Brooklyn’s first Spanish immersion charter school, which quickly grew to serve over 400 families across two campuses. Previously, he served as Director of Policy and Research at the New York City Charter School Center.
With 63.5% of students reporting in 2021 that their campus climate prevents people from saying things they believe, Regnier joins the HxA team at a pivotal time for higher education. “Our society desperately needs a place for challenging assumptions, following the evidence, and practicing thoughtful debate. The university can be that place again. No organization is better poised to help colleges and universities return to their most core values than Heterodox Academy,” said Regnier.
“The culture on campus is ready for change, so I’m thrilled to join the change-makers at HxA,” he added.
Regnier’s background in nonprofit management and public policy, along with his experience advocating for viewpoint diversity in education, position him for success in partnering with Tomasi to lead HxA into its next chapter of growth and impact. He succeeds Manon Loustaunau, who led the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic, and Debra Mashek, the organization’s first executive director.
About HxA
Heterodox Academy is a New York City-based nonpartisan nonprofit that works to improve the quality of research and education by promoting open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement in institutions of higher learning. The HxA community is made up of more than 5,000 professors, educators, administrators, and students who come from a range of institutions — from large research universities to community colleges. They represent nearly every discipline and are distributed throughout 49 states and across the globe.
ContactMckenzie LoveDirector of Communicationspress@heterodoxacademy.org
