American Trojan: Leadership, Resilience, and the Reinvention of Higher Education

Conflict Within is a captivating and inspiring tale of a refugee whose family lost everything and then vowed to rebuild it all; an immigrant who defied the odds to pursue the allure of the American Dream; and a visionary technologist who would become the leader of one of the nation's most prestigious private research universities. Hailing from a humble village on the island of Cyprus, Max Nikias was raised on the classics and mathematics, trained at a school for Greek army officers, studied at the renowned Polytechnic of Athens and met the love of his life in high school - his wife, Niki. As the first members of their families to attend college, Niki and Max expected to pursue their education and return home to their small town of Famagusta. But after their families lost everything in the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, they were forced to leave their island behind and cross oceans to find a brighter future in America. This deeply-moving memoir is filled with exclusive stories about high-stakes negotiations, high-rolling donors, high-ranking officials, highly-ranked sports programs, highly-polarized campus groups that drive the university to self-destruction, and the high price that comes with the mantle of leadership. For those who champion the stories of refugees and immigrants, who are looking for lessons on leadership, or who want to know what really happens inside the halls of higher education and whether universities can still be rescued from their own decline, this book provides a compelling glimpse into the intricate challenges and profound rewards of leading a prestigious institution.