Dr. Chris McCaghren most recently served as the CEO of Higher Education Solutions, a full-service higher education consulting firm with a national presence, serving colleges and universities of all types. During the first Trump Administration, Dr. McCaghren served as Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher Education Programs where he oversaw the distribution of more than $36 billion in pandemic relief funding to more than 5,100 institutions of higher education and their students.
Before being called to Washington, DC, he served as the Executive Vice President and Provost, as well as Professor of Higher Education Leadership and Policy, at the University of Mobile. Dr. McCaghren also served as Dean of the College of Education at Anderson University and as Assistant to the President for External Programs and Division Head for the Division of Career and Continuing Studies at Samford University. In addition, he served Congressman Spencer Bachus (AL-6, retired) and the great people of the state of Alabama as Special Assistant to the Congressman.
Dr. McCaghren holds a doctorate from Vanderbilt University in higher education leadership and policy, a master of theological studies from Beeson Divinity School, and a double major undergraduate degree in communication studies and classics from Samford University.