Dunker Eric

Eric Dunker

Chief Engagement and Advancement Officer, Reach University

Dr. Eric Dunker is a nationally recognized higher education leader and workforce innovator, currently serving as Chief Engagement and Advancement Officer for Reach University and co-founder of the National Center for the Apprenticeship Degree (NCAD) @Reach, which is advancing apprenticeship-based degree pathways with a goal of reaching 3 million working learners by 2035. He has secured significant public and private funding to scale workforce-aligned education models that directly connect learners to high-demand careers, and previously served as Vice President for Workforce and Economic Development at Arapahoe Community College, where he oversaw the $40 million Sturm Collaboration Campus—recognized as Colorado’s Economic Development Partnership of the Year and a national model for education-industry collaboration. His leadership in launching apprenticeship pathways in healthcare, technology, and business earned him recognition as Colorado’s 2021 Apprentice Champion and selection as an Aspen Rising Presidents Fellow. Dunker holds a PhD in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Denver, an MS in Student Affairs from Colorado State University, and a BSBA in Business from Bucknell University, and he lives in Colorado with his wife Katie and their three children.