September 30, 2019

Inaugural Academic Leadership Academy launches first cohort

The inaugural Academic Leadership Academy (ALA) fellows joined in celebration earlier this semester to commemorate the official launch of their cohort.

The ALA was created by the Office of the Provost as part of Wayne State’s ongoing commitment to the success and growth of its faculty and staff. Following a competitive application process, 26 fellows were announced this spring. Each of the fellows will develop a leadership project to improve some facet of campus life. They will also have the opportunity to build their skills via a one-day leadership orientation retreat, monthly seminars, ongoing meetings with coaches and mentors, and a variety of assessments.

“We’re excited to see how the first group of fellows will apply their leadership to enhance our university,” said Annmarie Caño, associate provost for faculty development and faculty success. “These are campus leaders who value lifelong learning, reflective practice, collaboration, and a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Their growth will help further the growth of Wayne State.”

The 2019-20 Academic Leadership Academy fellows are:

Diane Adamo, Physical Therapy, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
- Adamo’s leadership project will focus on advancing research and scholarly activity by providing interactive, hands-on workshops and mentoring opportunities among health science clinical faculty.
Poonam Arya, Teacher Education, College of Education
- Arya’s leadership project will work to create a graduate program that is consistent in research requirements by encouraging dialogue and collaborative decision making among the Teacher Education faculty.
Karen Beningo, Biological Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Beningo’s leadership project will work to improve diversity and inclusion among the graduate student population.
Zsa-Zsa Booker, Office of Learning and Teaching, School of Medicine
- Booker’s leadership project will help adult learners engage in the educational system.
Anglesia Brown, English, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Brown’s leadership project will work to streamline and automate the Department of English’s part-time faculty hiring process.
Susan Davis, Pharmacy Practice, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
- Davis’ leadership project will work to increase alumni engagement in the PharmD program.
Rosanne DiZazzo-Miller, Occupational Therapy, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
- DiZazzo-Miller’s leadership project will help advance the occupational therapy program by completing a needs assessment specific to program administration and development.
Damecia Donahue, University Libraries
- Donahue’s leadership project will assess the immersive and exponential technological needs of the Wayne State community to help maximize the library system as a leader in the creation and development of knowledge. Creating learning programs to develop technologically based interdisciplinary skills that can be used in WSU curriculum across all disciplines will inspire, enable and support the creative development of innovative solutions to advance learning, research and economic enterprise.
Rafael Fridman, Pathology and Oncology, School of Medicine
- Fridman’s leadership project will work to improve faculty productivity and well-being of long-term faculty through voluntary mentoring and support programming.
Candice Garwood, Pharmacy Practice, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
- Garwood’s leadership project will help advance interprofessional education across the health professional programs in the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
Jennifer Hart, History, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Hart’s leadership project will focus on expanding globally oriented research through an increased coordination of policies and resources.
Christine Huang, Academic Success Center
- Huang’s leadership project will work to improve the quality of tutoring support for all students by increasing the consistency in tutoring support services across campus.
Shantalea Johns, School of Social Work
- Johns’ leadership project will work to create a minor in social work that give non-social work majors the opportunity to incorporate social justice principles in their field of study and career.
Lara Jones, Psychology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Jones’ leadership project will work to increase the rate of fulfilling employment for College of Liberal Arts and Sciences graduates by helping students learn more about the process of searching, applying and interviewing for jobs, as well as adjustment to the workplace.
Kristiana Kaufmann, Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine
- Kaufmann’s leadership project will work to improve Short Term Experiences in Global Health (STEGHs) at the School of Medicine.
Poco Kernsmith, School of Social Work
- Kernsmith’s leadership project will work to further align the Social Work Ph.D. program with current educational needs and issues by conducting a comprehensive, data-driven curricular redesign.
Kafi Kumasi, School of Information Sciences
- Kumasi’s leadership project will work to increase the research visibility/profile of SIS faculty through an exploratory self-study of the faculty’s knowledge domains.
Karen Liston, University Libraries
- Liston’s leadership project will empower and engage employees by training leaders in meeting facilitation techniques, and building a facilitators learning community on campus.
Kim Morgan, Mathematics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Morgan’s leadership project is to create a women's council to allow Wayne State’s women’s groups to coordinate events where appropriate, and allow cross-organizational collaboration on events and resources for their constituents, when those goals overlap.
Mary Beth O’Connell, Pharmacy Practice, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
- O’Connell’s leadership project will work to improve faculty and graduate students’ knowledge and skills related to dissemination and implementation scientific methods to increase application of WSU research findings into real world applications sooner
Ijeoma Opara Nnodim, Internal Medicine, School of Medicine
- Opara Nnodim’s leadership project will work to create a comprehensive, competency-based global health curriculum.
Alexey Petrov, Physics and Astronomy, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Petrov’s leadership project consists of creating a new master’s degree program in technogenic emergency response.
Christine Powell, Financial Aid, Enrollment Management
- Powell’s leadership project will focus on improving financial literacy among freshmen.
Heather Sandlin, Health Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
- Sandlin’s leadership project will work to create more programs that offer support and inclusivity for those in the learning disability community.
Ryan Thomas, Financial Aid, Enrollment Management
- Thomas’ leadership project will work to provide peer-to-peer financial counseling to improve financial literacy on campus.
Mary Waker, Academic Services, College of Education
- Waker’s leadership project will focus on improving classroom technology skills for students in the Teacher Education program by developing a system of micro-credentials (digital badges).