Dr. George R. Boggs | American Association of Community Colleges

In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast, Vygo Co-Founder & Co-CEO Ben Hallett sits down with Dr. George R. Boggs, one of the most influential and respected leaders in the history of community colleges. As President and CEO Emeritus of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and Superintendent/President Emeritus of Palomar College, Dr. Boggs has spent decades shaping national and global higher education policy, practice, and leadership.

A prolific scholar, teacher, and consultant, Dr. Boggs is the author of more than 100 articles, books, and chapters on higher education and continues to teach doctoral students at San Diego State University and Kansas State University. His leadership has extended across the highest levels of education and science policy, including service with the National Academy of Sciences, National Science Foundation, Phi Theta Kappa, ABET, and the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics, where he served as Board Chair.

Ben and Dr. Boggs reflect on the evolution of community colleges, the national STEM movement, and what it means to lead systems that expand access, equity, and opportunity at scale. They also explore the role of research, teaching, and policy in shaping the future of postsecondary education and why community colleges remain one of the most powerful engines of social and economic mobility.

A must-listen conversation with a true architect of modern community college leadership.