The Presidents Dinner
Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023

Photo by: Emily Paine
Bucknell University annually hosts The Presidents Dinner, an on-the-record conversation between members of the national news media who cover higher education and more than 10 leaders of prestigious colleges and universities. Bucknell President John Bravman serves as the event's host and moderates the discussion.
In partnership with the RW Jones Agency, a national firm focused on media relations in higher education, the 2022 Presidents Dinner was held on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022.
The next Presidents Dinner will be held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023.
Media Coverage Resulting From the Event
The conversation has yielded numerous media placements for Bucknell and attending institutions. Below includes several of the highlights over the past few years.
2021
- Presidents and other officials from five institutions who participated in The Presidents Dinner, including Bucknell's John Bravman, were featured in an article by David Tobenkin for Trusteeship Magazine. “Pandemic Leadership: Lessons Learned at Six Institutions” was published in June 2022.
- Presidents who participated in The Presidents Dinner, including Bucknell's John Bravman, were featured in an article by Hilary Burns for The Business Journals. “Are 'best' rankings detrimental to the US higher-ed system” was published Sept. 16, 2021.
- The Presidents Dinner and participating presidents were included in this brief by Jessica Calefati for Politico, published Sept. 13, 2021.
- Jack Stripling of The Chronicle of Higher Education tweeted about The Presidents Dinner and posted a photo of how many of the participating presidents' schools had mandated COVID-19 vaccines on the evening of the dinner, Sept. 10.
2019
- The Presidents Dinner and Bucknell University were featured in an article by Alia Wong for The Atlantic. “Colleges Face Growing International Student-Visa Issues” was published Sept. 6, 2019.
- John Bravman, The Presidents Dinner and Bucknell University were featured in an article by Emily Brown for University Business. “College Presidents Discuss Enrollment Declines, Volatility in Higher Ed” was published Sept. 11, 2019.
- Figures from Bucknell University’s incoming first-year class were included in Alia Wong’s story in The Atlantic. “The Most Popular Names of This Year’s College Freshmen,” was published Sept. 12, 2019.
- John Bravman, The Presidents Dinner and Bucknell University were featured in an article by Nick Anderson for The Washington Post. “GWU Aims to Get Smaller and Better. Will That Mean Cuts to Faculty and Financial Aid?” was published Sept. 13, 2019.
- The Presidents Dinner and Bucknell University were featured in an article by Zach Shermele for Teen Vogue. “The Trump Administration is Making Life Hell For International Students” was published Sept. 15, 2019.
- John Bravman, The Presidents Dinner and Bucknell University were featured in an article by Susan Snyder for The Philadelphia Inquirer. “As Colleges Compete for Fewer Students, the Pressure Rises to Meet Enrollment Targets” was published Sept. 30, 2019.
- John Bravman was featured in a story by Chris Quintana for USA Today. “How do we rebuild trust? A Year After Admissions Scandal, Presidents Say College Must Change” was published March 10, 2020.
2018
- President Bravman and The Presidents Dinner were mentioned in a story by Mary Beth Marklein for University World News. “Make Campuses Great Centres of Civil Discourse Again” was published Sept. 21, 2018.
- Bucknell was featured in U.S. News & World Report’s Pennsylvania College Road Trip series.
Additional Dinner Coverage Not Specific to Bucknell:
Centre College President Milton Moreland and Colgate University President Brian Casey were quoted in an article in The Business Journals by Hilary Burns. "The 25 most expensive colleges in the US show how 'the business model of higher education in the U.S. has been broken since 1635'" was published on Sept. 10, 2021.
- Colgate President Brian Casey was quoted extensively in an article in The New York Times by Kerry Hannon. "More Colleges Are Playing the Long Game" was published Nov. 2, 2018.
- Macalester College President Brian Rosenberg published an op-ed in The Chronicle of Higher Education following topics discussed at The Presidents Dinner. The piece was published Sept. 13, 2019.
Participating Leaders and Institutions

Bucknell Is Leading the National Media Conversation
MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS 2021-22
Bucknell's faculty and University leaders were featured by the media more than 1,200 times in academic year 2021-22, in publications in all 50 states and 31 countries around the world. Learn how Bucknell experts are setting the agenda on topics from the state of higher education to inflation and the economy to the intersection of art and artificial intelligence — and much more.
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