James Kvaal

James Kvaal is an Executive in Residence at Arizona State University. He served as the Under Secretary of Education from 2021 until 2025. As the Department’s third-ranking official, he led its work on higher education, student financial aid, and career education. Kvaal also served in the White House under President Clinton and President Obama, including more than three years as deputy domestic policy adviser to President Obama. He was the policy director and member of the executive team of President Obama's 2012 reelection campaign. Immediately prior to joining the Biden Administration, Kvaal was president of The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS), a research and advocacy nonprofit dedicated to affordability and equity in higher education.Kvaal has taught at the University of Michigan's Ford School of Public Policy and graduated with honors from Stanford University and Harvard Law School.