Engineering leadership for the College

The assignment was easier to describe than it was to execute: create a program that empowers and celebrates success of the College of Engineering faculty throughout all phases of their careers.

Since relaunching the Center for Faculty Success last August, Faculty Director Reeja Jayan and Managing Director Katie Walsh have been doing just that. They developed programs for new faculty, for those who are actively building their careers, and for faculty celebrating major milestones in their careers.

Their recent announcement of the inaugural cohort of the new Engineering Leadership Fellows Program, means that in less than one year, they have created substantial opportunities for all faculty in the College of Engineering to participate in meaningful professional development.

“This new program is a cross-cutting effort that will empower our faculty with skills that not only will help them become stronger leaders but will also help them to be better teachers and researchers,” said Jayan.

Nine faculty members are slated to participate in the Engineering Leadership Fellows program, which has been designed to support faculty with a wide range of leadership experiences and give them opportunities to explore leadership as it relates to their teaching, research, and administrative pursuits.

“We want the program to meet faculty where they are in their leadership journey and give them perspectives that will prepare them to succeed at the next level,” said Walsh.

The program will begin with a full-day kickoff event in early September. Throughout the next academic year, the fellows will convene once a month in sessions that will include reviews of assigned reading materials, group discussions and activities, and an impressive lineup of guest speakers from Carnegie Mellon and other prestigious institutions, who will lead open conversations that both inspire and inform participants.

Adam Goodman, who directs Northwestern University's Center for Leadership and is a faculty member in the McCormick School of Engineering & Applied Science there, is working closely with Jayan and Walsh to craft a custom curriculum for the program that addresses the specific needs for the College of Engineering Faculty.

This new program is a cross-cutting effort that will empower our faculty with skills that not only will help them become stronger leaders but will also help them to be better teachers and researchers.

Reeja Jayan, Faculty Director, Center for Faculty Success

“Both the college and the participants are making a significant investment in this effort, so we will be listening closely to their feedback and tracking outcomes,” said Jayan. “Our intention is to develop and grow this program beyond year one, so we want to continually refine the program and expand its reach.”

She believes that investing in leadership development can have wide-ranging benefits for the college—from enhancing student learning and supporting faculty growth to strengthening academic programs, building institutional reputation, and navigating times of change.

“Given the unprecedented challenges facing higher education today, this is exactly the right time to invest in leadership,” Jayan added. “We’re excited to see what this cohort will do—not just fort hemselves, but for the entire college.

The inaugural cohort of Engineering Leadership Fellows includes: Lujo Bauer, Steve Chase, Tzahi Cohen-Karni, Swarun Kumar, Deanna Matthews, Albert Presto, Costa Samaras, Ryan Sullivan, and Katie Whitehead.