President
Daniel López, Ph.D.
Dr. Daniel López was named President of Harold Washington College on December 5, 2019, by the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) Board of Trustees. Located in the heart of Chicago’s Loop, Harold Washington College serves more than 9,000 students in credit and continuing education programs, more than 70 percent of which are Latine or African American students.
Dr. López has dedicated more than 30 years to Illinois higher education in a variety of leadership and management roles. Throughout his career, Dr. López has been involved with leading academic and student affairs units at public and private higher education institutions with a laser focus on student success. He has previously held positions at Harold Washington College, Illinois State University, Lake Forest College and Northeastern Illinois University.
A scholar of higher education administration, Dr. López’s research focuses on issues of Latine leaders as agents of change transforming and shaping colleges and universities in support of access and opportunities for people of color. At each institution where he has worked, he has also made a point of teaching students in the classroom, most recently as an affiliate faculty at Northeastern Illinois University.
Like so many City Colleges of Chicago students, President López is an immigrant, Chicago Public Schools graduate, first generation college student, and former undocumented student. His personal story of struggle, perseverance and resilience motivate him to continue to prepare and empower students to accomplish their academic and professional goals and become social justice advocates.
President López is a proud Harold Washington alumnus where he earned his associate degree in liberal arts. He also earned a Bachelor of Arts in communication from the University of Illinois at Springfield, a Master of Education from Loyola University Chicago, and a doctorate in higher education from Illinois State University.
Dr. López is very committed to the empowerment of the Latine community and is a tireless advocate of post-secondary education. He is currently the Board President for the Illinois Latino Council in Higher Education (ILACHE), Board member of Diversifying Faculty in Illinois (DFI) graduate fellowship, Board Vice Chair of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), board member LGBTQ Leaders in Higher Education, and Board member for the Chicago Architecture Center, and member of several professional state and national organizations that promote access to higher education opportunities and support the advancement of Latinos in the United States. Dr. López has received several distinguished academic and community service awards.
