Women’s Leadership Initiative section
Women’s Leadership Initiative Spring 2018 marked the completion of the second year of the Women’s Leadership Initiative’s (WLI). WLI provides opportunities for undergraduate students to develop their leadership self-efficacy through personal interaction and one-onone mentoring with professionals from the USU campus, the Logan community, and the state. During the seven Saturday sessions held monthly throughout the academic year, students discuss leadership, research articles, and organize and moderate speaker panels with community and faculty leaders. They develop ‘difficult conversation’ role-plays, attend networking events, and work individually with leadership mentors. At a recent CWG development board meeting, several WLI students commented on the benefits of the program. “The first question I asked my mentor was, ‘How do you get done what you need to get done within time constraints,’” Krista Delozier said. “I feel
comfortable calling on my mentor when I need help. I feel supported in where I am going and what I am doing.” Another WLI student, Madison Elliot, said, “I never realized the opportunities available at USU. I originally questioned my ability to lead professional or academic conversations, but WLI built my confidence.” “The most beneficial part of WLI was communicating with faculty,” said Nahomi Jimenez. “WLI requires dedication, hard work, and the will to adapt and learn.” As a first-generation student at USU, Jimenez said the WLI helped launch her in ways she had not considered. Through networking at WLI sessions, she was asked to speak at the Logan Women’s March and introduced to the Fulbright program.
MANY THANKS
to the following faculty who served as WLI faculty discussants in the WLI sessions during the 2017-2018 Cohort. Their willingness to engage with the students and lead small group discussions with leadership articles was an integral component of the program.
KAITLIN BUNDOCK Assistant Professor: Special Education and Rehabilitation DIANE CALLOWAY-GRAHAM Practicum Director – Professor, Social Work: Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology JULIE FOUST Senior Lecturer: English DENNISE GACKSTETTER Senior Lecturer, Art Education: Art and Design LAURA GELFAND Professor: Art History: Art and Design KERI HOLT Associate Professor: English PHEBE JENSEN Professor: English CRESCENCIO LÓPEZ-GONZÁLEZ Associate Professor, Latinx Studies: Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies SHERRY MARX Professor, ESL/Multicultural Education/Qualitative Methods: TEAL SUZANNE PIERCE-MOORE Chair, Center for Women and Gender Development Board, USU Alumnus MIMI RECKER Professor: Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences ALAN SAVITSKY Professor: Biology TERESA THEURER Board of Regents Member, USU Alumnus IDALIS VILLENUEVA Assistant Professor: Engineering Education
Applications are accepted for the 2019-2020 WLI Cohort during the spring semester. More information about WLI is available at cwg.usu.edu/careerawards
ALMUT VOLLMER Research Assistant Professor: Nutrition, Dietetics & Food Sciences
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