Contact: Kathryn Rodenmeyer

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Twenty Mississippi State employees are part of a university cohort developed to enhance skills in preparation for future leadership roles. The Faculty Leadership Program’s Class of 2024 features faculty from a variety of departments.

“While faculty members may be leaders in their specialty areas, many may not have had the opportunity to develop their skills and deepen their knowledge about managing institutions,” Vice President for Research and Economic Development Julie Jordan said.

The Faculty Leadership Program exposes faculty standouts to the skills, processes and mindset needed to lead the university forward in its learning, service and research mission, Jordan said. The Office of Research and Economic Development and the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President spearhead the program each year. 

During the eight-month program which begins in September, participants attend various presentations and engage in roundtable discussions with top administrators. Session topics include leadership styles, organizational change, building winning research teams, organizational evaluation and assessment, and student access and success.

Eligible applicants include employees preparing for mid- to senior-level leadership roles; directing major tasks, projects and initiatives; and having at least one year of service in their current position and support of their dean, director or department head.

Members of this fall’s LDP Class include:

—Pratima Acharya Adhikari, associate professor, Department of Poultry Science

—Ryan Akers, associate extension professor, School of Human Sciences

—Bimal Balakrishnan, associate dean of research, College of Architecture, Art and Design

—Caroline Betbeze Ivy, associate professor, Department of Clinical Sciences

—Clay Cavinder, professor, Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences

—Hilary DeShong, associate professor, Department of Psychology

—Melody Fisher, associate professor, Department of Communication

—Daniel Gadke, research and professor, Department of Counseling, Higher Education

Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations

—Caroline M. Kobia, associate professor, School of Human Sciences

—Jeffrey Leffler, associate professor, Meridian Division of Education

—Stephenie Lemley, associate professor, Teacher Education and Leadership

—Laura Marler-Templeton, professor and department head, Department of Management and Information Systems

—James McCurdy, associate professor, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences

—Jean Mohammadi-Aragh, associate professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

—Kelly Moser, associate professor, Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures

—David Nolen, associate dean and professor, MSU Libraries

—Michael Potter, associate professor, Department of Political Science and Public Administration

—Lauren Priddy, associate professor, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering

—Adrian Sescu, associate professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering

—Garrett M. Street, associate professor, Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture

Balakrishna, Gadke, Marler-Templeton and Nolen were selected to serve as SEC Academic Leadership Development Fellows. The program, established in 2008, identifies, prepares and professionally advances more than 500 academic leaders within the SEC.

Feedback on the program from past participants includes an appreciation for university-level budgetary considerations, the opportunity to network with other faculty and university leadership, and the understanding of the pathways into administration.

Applications for the 2025-26 Faculty Leadership Program open in March.  The deadline to apply is May 1. For more information about the Faculty Leadership Program, visit https://www.research.msstate.edu/initiatives/faculty-leadership-development-program.

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