The third season of EmpowerED to Lead, Wayne State University’s academic leadership podcast, will launch Monday, Sept. 14. The podcast features conversations with academic leaders from across campus, focusing on how they have developed their careers while empowering themselves and others as part of that process.

Season three features new host Sara Kacin, assistant provost for faculty development and faculty success and director of the Office for Teaching and Learning, plus an impressive list of guests from across campus, representing faculty, staff and administration.

The third season kicks off with President M. Roy Wilson as the first guest. In addition to discussing Wayne State’s response to COVID-19, he shares the steps the university is taking to prioritize academic success and also reflects on his leadership journey. For more information and to listen to his episode, please visit provost.wayne.edu/empowered.

“In my time at Wayne State, I have developed a tremendous amount of respect for our community, particularly in our ability to lift and learn from one another,” Kacin said. “The podcast highlights that leadership can take many forms, and that everyone can be leader — with or without a title.”

The podcast’s third season will include eight episodes, each featuring a new guest. New episodes will be released weekly on Mondays through Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify. Listeners are encouraged to nominate future guests.

EmpowerED to Lead was created following the 2019 launch of the Academic Leadership Academy to broaden conversations around leadership and help identify colleagues for networking and mentoring opportunities. The podcast’s production and development have been supported by the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts and Marketing and Communications.