Fifty-nine higher education leaders from across the United States completed the 2023-2024 Weekend HERS Leadership Institute, held this year at Airlie Hotel in Warrenton, Virginia. HERS (Higher Education Resources Services) facilitates three cohorts of the HERS Leadership Institute each year, including two summer intensive sessions and a weekend immersion cohort hosted throughout the academic year.
The HERS Leadership Institute (HLI) is a transformational leadership development program for women and gender-diverse leaders in higher education, founded to fill leadership pipelines across the United States with dynamic leaders capable of ushering their respective institutions into a more inclusive and equitable future.
During the HLI, participants share their vision of leadership and what they hope to contribute to their respective institutions and are then challenged to develop the skills to actualize their professional vision. Alums of the HERS Leadership Institute emerge better skilled and more confident in leading with their unique voice, providing a much-needed infusion of bold guidance to their respective institutions.
Each HLI cohort also participates in a fundraising effort during their session. Rebecca Thomas, Ph.D. from Montgomery College led the advancement committee for the 2024 Weekend HLI cohort. Collectively, they raised more than any previous HLI session, exceeding $24,300 in donations.
“At the heart of our campaign was the idea that generosity should resonate personally,” commented Thomas. She continued, “Our HLI advancement committee inspired our cohort to give in celebration of the personal champions who have supported our individual leadership journeys — be they parents, partners, or mentors. Additionally, the ‘+1 Ask Challenge’ empowered each of our colleagues to grow their own fundraising expertise in a supportive context. Together, we didn’t just fundraise; we celebrated the connections and the growth opportunities that shape our personal leadership journeys.”
HLI participants represent a range of racial and ethnic groups, gender identities, nationalities, veteran and disability statuses, religious affiliations, ages, and years of experience in higher education, thereby broadening the range of perspectives and insights brought to each session.
2023-2024 Weekend HERS Leadership Institute participants represented both public (two-thirds and private (one-third) institutions, and a wide range of geographies and institutional missions.
Participants came from 25 U.S. states and 52 unique institutions, which included large and small; co-ed and single-gender; and liberal arts, research, land-grant, faith-based institutions, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), as well as one non-profit foundation. The cohort comprised faculty, staff, and administrators from a rich array of disciplinary backgrounds.
HERS is proud to introduce our 2023-2024 Weekend HERS Leadership Institute graduates:
Mary Anderson
Professor, Political Science and International Studies, Faculty Director All-In for Democracy Coalition
University of Tampa
Carolyn Bargoot
Deputy Provost
Northeastern University
Sarah Barr
Advisor to the Provost on Campus Initiatives and Director of the Center for Community Engagement
Amherst College
Nawal Benmouna
Acting College-wide Dean of Science, Engineering, and Technology
Montgomery College
Mirjeta Beqiri
Professor of Operations and MBA Programs Director, School of Business
Gonzaga University
Beth Beschorner
Department Chair and Associate Professor, Elementary and Literacy Education
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Bethany Blackstone
Dean of the Honors College, Professor of Political Science
James Madison University
Nancy Buffone
Associate Vice Chancellor for University Relations
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Kelly Campbell
Interim Vice Provost and Co-Chief Diversity Officer
California State University, San Bernadino
Lucinda Canty
Associate Professor and Director of Health Equity in Nursing Program, College of Nursing
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Maria Cecire
Program Officer, Higher Learning
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Sarah Chard
Associate Professor and Department Chair, Dept. of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Jennifer Cramer
Professor of Linguistics, Department of Linguistics, College of Arts & Sciences
University of Kentucky
Pearl Dowe
Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Political Science and African American Studies
Emory University
Mabel Ezeonwu
Professor
University of Washington, Bothell
Jennifer Fewell
President’s Professor and Associate Dean of Faculty, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Arizona State University
Kimberly Filer
Associate Director for Strategic Initiatives, Center for Instructional Development and Educational Research (CIDER)
Virginia Tech
Dawn Formo
Dean, Undergraduate Studies and Professor, Literature and Writing Studies
California State University – San Marcos
Laura Frost
Associate Dean of Faculty and Graduate Affairs, College of Arts and Sciences, Professor of Chemistry
Florida Gulf Coast University
Ingrid Furniss
Interim Dean of the Faculty and Dean of Arts and Humanities
Lafayette College
Lisa Gabel
Professor, Rappolt Scholar in Neuroscience, Chair of Neuroscience, Incoming Dean of Natural Science
Lafayette College
Sherona Garrett-Ruffin
Vice Chair of Undergraduate Education (Psychology), Teaching Professor (Psychology)
Bowling Green State University
Ellen Gawalt
Interim Dean of the Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Science
Duquesne University
Courtney Giles
Director of Curricular Enrichment, College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences; Lecturer, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Vermont
Catherine Golden
Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives
Purdue University, Main Campus
Adrienne Hall-Phillips
Associate Professor of Marketing and Undergraduate Programs Chair
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Megan Halpern
Associate Professor, Science + Society Group, Lyman Briggs College; Director, CIRCLE
Michigan State University
Payne Hiraldo
Associate Director for Residential Education
University of Vermont
Erica Johnson
Director, Center for Global Engagement; Adjunct Faculty, K-12 and Secondary Programs, College of Education
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Casey Kendall
Executive Director, Applications and Infrastructure
Ithaca College
Mary Khetani
Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy
University of Illinois, Chicago
Ozlem Kilic
Associate Dean, Academic and Student Affairs
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Anne Lambright
Professor of Hispanic Studies and Head of Modern Languages
Carnegie Mellon University
Nandita Mani
Dean of University Libraries
University of Massachusetts
Holly Matusovich
Professor of Engineering Education and Associate Dean for Graduate and Professional Studies in the College of Engineering
Virginia Tech
Rebecca McCue
Director of Community Engagement and Operations, Center for Community Action & Public Policy & Adjunct Faculty
Connecticut College
Lucrisha Menjivar
Assistant Dean, Student Engagement and Leadership
Colorado State University – Pueblo
Lisa Millsaps-Graham
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Health and Nutrition Science Department, and Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions & Recruitment
City University of New York Brooklyn College
Mignon Moore
Ann Whitney Olin Professor of Sociology and Special Advisor to the President
Barnard College
Mohini Mukherjee
Executive Director for International Student Services; Lead of India Relations
Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick Campus
Ingrid Nelson
Associate Professor of Sociology and Chair, Sociology Department
Bowdoin College
Annie Nevells
Associate Director of Graduate Admissions and Student Experience
University of New Hampshire
Elizabeth Oldmixon
Director of Academic Policy
James Madison University
Lisa Ranfos
Associate Clinical Professor, Child Study and Development Center, Dept. of Human Development and Family Studies
University of New Hampshire
Amy Ribera
Director of Research and Evaluation and Associate Research Professor
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Wendy Singer
Associate Provost
Kenyon College
Daniella Smith
Hazel Harvey Peace Endowed Professor and Director of the Information Science Ph.D. Program
University of North Texas
Jean Spear
Senior Program Manager for Academic Affairs
University of New Hampshire
Nicole Stark
Director of Alumni Relations, USC Gould School of Law
University of Southern California
Beth A. Steffel
Associate Professor of Design and Senator for the Statewide Academic Senate for the California State University (ASCSU)
California State University – San Bernardino
Vidya Sundar
Associate Professor, Occupational Therapy Department; Chair, Faculty Senate
University of New Hampshire
Rebecca Thomas
Department Chair & Professor of Biology
Montgomery College, Rockville Campus
Carrie Tzou
Professor and Director of the Goodlad Institute for Educational Renewal
University of Washington, Bothell
Lindsey Van Note
Executive Director Human Resources
Georgia Gwinnett College
Dana Veron
Associate Provost for Faculty Development, Director of Climate Change Science and Policy Hub, Full Professor of Meteorology and Climate Science
University of Delaware
Laura Voith
Associate Professor
Case Western Reserve University
Erin Walsh
Manager of Faculty Experience Operations
Western Governors University
Lisa Withers
Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences, Associate Professor of Music
Emory & Henry College
Traci Zimmerman
Associate Dean, College of Arts and Letters
James Madison University
A parting thought from HERS Weekend Leadership Institute Alum Rebecca Thomas conveys the spirit of the program:
“As a community college leader, the experience was deeply personal; without the generosity of a HERS scholarship, the HERS Leadership Institute would have been beyond my reach. It was profoundly rewarding to “pay it forward” by supporting future scholarships for fellow leaders from HBCUs, HSIs, MSIs, TCUs, and community colleges. We did more than raise scholarship funds; we continued an HLI tradition of giving that transforms leaders and higher education institutions.”
About HERS
Higher Education Resource Services (HERS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating and sustaining a diverse network of higher education leaders through transformative programming, coaching and peer support. Since its founding in 1972, HERS has been a force for change, guiding leaders and strengthening institutions of higher education; HERS has been integral to the career advancement of more than 7,000 alums from over 1,200 institutions around the world, thereby promoting equity, inclusivity, and excellence across all institutional types.
Learn more at HERSnetwork.org.
