Richard W. Riley Named One of Time’s Best Cabinet Members

Baltimore—December 2, 2008—Richard W. Riley, who served as U.S. Secretary of Education from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton, has been named one of the top 10 best cabinet members by Time magazine. Secretary Riley was selected from a prestigious group of 20th-century cabinet members who distinguished their offices. The list was compiled as President-elect Barack Obama and his transition team make their selections for cabinet positions for the new administration.

Walden University’s Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership was named in his honor in January 2008. According to Time, “Among his accomplishments, Riley spearheaded initiatives to improve academic standards, made education more accessible for lower-income families and expanded college grants and loan programs.”

“Walden University has long been a leader in providing graduate degrees to educators. One of the reasons I'm so proud to be associated very closely with Walden is its mission to provide a diverse community of career professionals with the opportunity to transform themselves as scholar-practitioners so that they may do their part to transform society,” Secretary Riley said in his commencement address at Walden’s winter commencement ceremonies on Feb. 2, 2008.

Secretary Riley has committed himself to improving education for more than three decades, beginning with his tenure as governor of South Carolina. Secretary Riley’s lifelong passion for education and ensuring diversity in education is a perfect complement to Walden’s own commitment to preparing educators to make a difference in the lives of others.

The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership at Walden University is the choice of more than 37,000 students and alumni. In January 2008, Walden was ranked for a second time by U.S. News & World Report as having the largest online graduate program in education by enrollment. The college offers practical and affordable pathways for lifelong learning by offering degree programs at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, and also offers graduate courses for teachers, special education endorsement programs, and teacher preparation programs.

Read the Time story.

About Walden University
Since 1970, Walden University has offered working professionals the opportunity to earn advanced degrees through distance learning. Today, this comprehensive, accredited online university offers master’s and doctoral degrees in education, psychology, management, public policy and administration, and health and human services, as well as master’s programs in engineering and IT and bachelor’s programs in business administration, psychology, child development, computer information systems, and interdisciplinary studies. Walden University is a member of Laureate International Universities, a leading global network of accredited campus-based and online universities. For more information, visit www.WaldenU.edu.

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association, www.hlcommission.org.