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Staley School scholars present at global conference

Posted on by Staley School of Leadership

Several Staley School of Leadership faculty and doctoral students represented Kansas State University at the 27th annual International Leadership Association (ILA) Global Conference. The conference took place Nov. 7-10, in Chicago, Illinois.

The conference theme, Architects of Change: Leaders, Followers and Communities, highlights the vital role of change-makers in the evolving landscapes around the globe. It emphasizes the importance of both people leading together in communities, reminding us that we all contribute to shaping the future.

The ILA is the largest worldwide professional community committed to leadership scholarship, practice, development, and education. Their mission is to advance leadership knowledge and practice for a better world. The annual conference draws more than 1,200 leaders and leadership professionals worldwide.

The work presented reflects the Staley School’s research priorities of advancing leadership learning and development, building civic capacity, and leading change. Presenters included faculty and graduate students.

“Our faculty and students continue to make field-changing contributions through this dynamic global community of scholars and practitioners. What we share and what we learn advances leadership learning and practice across the university and the communities we serve,” said Mary Tolar, dean of the Staley School of Leadership.

Six Staley School scholars pose in front of an ILA photo backdrop, some holding photo prop speech bubbles like "I heart leadership."

Following is a list of presentations by K-State faculty and colleagues: Continue reading “Staley School scholars present at global conference” →

Students facilitate learning with local JAG-K

Posted on by Staley School of Leadership

Being a part of the Staley School of Leadership means having real-world opportunities to practice leadership. Jess Pittenger, a sophomore majoring in philosophy in the pre-law track with a minor in leadership studies, experienced this firsthand.

Pittenger, a co-chair for the Staley School Ambassadors’ education committee, developed a plan to facilitate a leadership learning experience with the organization JAG-K (Jobs for America’s Graduates Kansas). This nonprofit organization provides elective classes for Kansas high school students, offering academic resources, assistance with post-graduation plans, and exposure to extracurricular activities.

Continue reading “Students facilitate learning with local JAG-K” →

Building Bridges for the Future of Leadership Education: Leadership scholars present at national conference 

Posted on by Staley School of Leadership

Several Kansas State University faculty and doctoral students presented at the 2024 Association of Leadership Educators conference (ALE), July 14-17, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As a professional organization, ALE seeks to strengthen the expertise of leadership educators and developers. The conference theme, “building bridges for the future of leadership education,” embodied the idea that leadership education is dynamic and ever-adapting to prepare leaders for the challenges of a diverse and changing world.

K-State scholars contributed the following presentations to the conference program:

Systems Leadership Education: Bridging Theory and Practice (panel)

Kerry Priest, Ph.D., and Jessica Ramirez, Staley School of Leadership, Leadership communication doctoral program; Jason Headrick, Ph.D., Texas Tech University;  Michael Gleason, Ph.D., Wartburg College; and Haley Traini, Ph.D., Oregon State University

Peer Coaching: A Practice to Enhance Leadership Education and Support Leadership Educators (workshop)

Kerry Priest, Ph.D., Staley School of Leadership and Dan Jenkins, Ph.D., University of Southern Maine

Mentoring International Graduate Students (presentation)

Chibuzor Azubuike, Ph.D., Andrew Wefald, Ph.D., N’Zoret Innocent Assoman, Ph.D., and Trisha Gott, Ph.D., Staley School of Leadership, Leadership communication doctoral program

Classroom Reflections: How Teaching Leadership Exemplifies Leadership-As-Practice (roundtable)

Michaela Sauders, Kansas State University Leadership Communication doctoral candidate and Instructor, Washburn University Leadership and Community Engagement Program

Building Bridges to Move Beyond Organizational Barriers to Collaborate and Create Opportunities in Graduate Leadership Education  (roundtable)

Michael Gleason, Ph.D., Wartburg College; Jennifer Moss Breen Kuzelka, Ph.D., Creighton University; and Kerry Priest, Ph.D., Staley School of Leadership

Leadership Capacity Building Workshop for Nigerian National Youth Service Corps Members (poster)  

Oluyomibo Asunlegan and Ifedayo Olubejide Leadership communication doctoral program; Kerry Priest, Ph.D., Staley School of Leadership

Posed group photo of K-Staters at ALE: : Michaela Saunders, Ifedayo Sunday Olubejide, Oluyomibo Asunlegan, Kerry Priest, Andy Wefald, Innocent Assoman, Jessica Ramirez

Pictured left to right: Michaela Saunders, Ifedayo Sunday Olubejide, Oluyomibo Asunlegan, Kerry Priest, Andy Wefald, Innocent Assoman, Jessica Ramirez

As part of K-State’s land-grant mission, the Staley School of Leadership advances leadership learning and development through research and practice that strengthens our communities, state, and world. Learn more about K-State’s leadership communication doctoral program here.

Building leadership practice to impact climate change networks in Ghana

Posted on by Staley School of Leadership

Kerry Priest, Ph.D., professor in the Staley School of Leadership, and Shaibu Fuseini, 2023 Mandela Washington Fellow Alumnus and co-founder of AgricConnect, were recently awarded a Reciprocal Exchange Grant to support network building among climate change leaders in Ghana.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders—the flagship program of the U.S. Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI)—was created in 2014 to invest in the next generation of African leaders.

The Reciprocal Exchange component provides U.S. citizens and Fellowship Alumni with the opportunity to build upon strategic partnerships and professional connections developed during the Fellowship through collaborative projects. These exchange programs are a unique opportunity to implement a co-designed project for the purpose of forming lasting partnerships, expanding markets and networks, and increasing mutual understanding between the United States and Africa.

Left to right: Sipasi Olalekan Ayodele, Kerry Priest, Shaibu Fuseini

Priest and Fuseini’s project was entitled, Fostering Community Leadership: Cultivating Innovative Skills to Tackle Climate Challenges in Ghana’s Agricultural Sector. The Climate Change Workshops took place June 1-5, 2024, in Kumasi, Ghana. The facilitation team for this project also included Sipasi Olalekan Ayodele, 2019 Mandela Washington Fellow Alumnus and doctoral candidate and graduate research assistant in K-State’s Department of Horticulture and Nature Resources. Jon Ulmer, Ph.D., and Nellie Hill, Ph.D., in the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication served as consultants on the program design. Continue reading “Building leadership practice to impact climate change networks in Ghana” →

K-State faculty mentor McNair Scholars through Summer Research Internship

Posted on by Staley School of Leadership

Scholar Development and Undergraduate Research, housed in the Staley School of leadership, recognizes and celebrates the 2024 McNair Mentors for their contributions to the Kansas State University McNair Scholars’ academic and professional growth as they prepare for graduate education. McNair mentors play a large role in the development of the undergraduate researchers and are helpful in providing a trajectory toward graduate education.

McNair Scholars interviewed and invited a faculty member to serve as a mentor for their Summer Internship. This summer, eleven K-State faculty members are serving as mentors through the Scholars’ 8-week summer internship, taking place June 6-July 26.

As a mentor, each faculty member will:

  • Guide the scholar through completion of research project including submission of written materials
  • Help the scholar understand theoretical frameworks and methodologies
  • Encourage understanding of discipline-specific professional trajectory, such as expectations for graduate program applicants

Thank you, to the following mentors for the 2024 McNair Summer Internship: Continue reading “K-State faculty mentor McNair Scholars through Summer Research Internship” →

Rethinking leadership education in college through global symposium

Posted on by Staley School of Leadership

This spring semester, Kerry Priest, Ph.D., a professor at the Staley School of Leadership, participated as a virtual panelist in a symposium titled “Leadership for What and for Whom? Reimagining Leadership Education in College.” The event was hosted by the University of Tokyo’s Integrated Human Sciences Program for Cultural Diversity, in collaboration with the Women and Leadership Education Research Project (WALP). WALP is spearheaded by three Japanese leadership educators: Associate Professors Momo Waguri from Fukuoka Women’s University, Michiko Izumitani from Soka University, and Toru Kawai from Ritsumeikan University. Both Waguri and Izumitani previously attended the Leadership Education Academy in 2022, an initiative designed and coordinated by Priest.

The symposium aimed to challenge current paradigms in leadership education and foster discussions on critical topics such as women’s leadership development, the identity growth of leadership educators, and the creation of transformative educational programs. The event drew fifty participants, including professors, staff, students, and alumni from various universities across Japan, who joined both in person and online. Continue reading “Rethinking leadership education in college through global symposium” →

Leadership Communication celebrates spring 2024 doctoral graduates

Posted on by Staley School of Leadership

The Leadership Communication doctoral program at Kansas State University proudly announces its spring 2024 graduates. Anisah Ari, Ph.D., N’Zoret Innocent Assoman, Ph.D., Sakshi Bhati, Ph.D., Cale Morrow, Ph.D., Chase Spears, Ph.D., and Keyhan Shams, Ph.D. have completed their doctorates in Leadership Communication, an interdisciplinary program between the Department of Communications and Agricultural Education, the Staley School of Leadership, and the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication.

Continue reading “Leadership Communication celebrates spring 2024 doctoral graduates” →