The Leadership Communication doctoral program at Kansas State University celebrated the fall 2024 graduates in December. Chibuzor Azubuike, Ph.D., Shukeyla Harrison, Ph.D., Ania Payne, Ph.D., and Jurdene Coleman, 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.
Chibuzor Azubuike, Ph.D., has a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, a Master of Arts in Diaspora and Transnational Studies, and certificates in Conflict Resolution and Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies.
Azubuike’s dissertation, titled, Narratives of Resilience from Indigenous Women in North America and Africa, examines the lasting consequences of colonialism on Native American and African societies, particularly the disruption of Indigenous leadership and land displacement.
Her work points out that while much scholarship focuses on the injustices caused by colonization, the lesser-explored perspective of the resilience of Indigenous women in North America and Africa reveals that mentorship and skill-building play a crucial role in fostering resilience, empowering Indigenous women to navigate and challenge the enduring effects of colonialism in their communities.
Currently an outreach and communications coordinator at the Kansas African Studies Center at the University of Kansas, Azubuike said the robust curriculum and helpful peer mentors greatly impacted her success as a graduate of the Leadership Communication doctoral program.
Ania Payne, Ph.D., has a bachelor’s degree in English, and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing.
Payne’s dissertation is titled, Empowering Communities: Asset-Based Approaches to Community Writing Partnerships. Her research finds that English instructors often use inconsistent and deficit-based language when describing community partnerships. To improve community writing practices, it offers recommendations for designing syllabi and classroom experiences that emphasize community strengths and foster true collaboration.
Payne is an assistant professor of English at K-State. She gained a deep understanding of the scholarship of engagement during the Lead Comm program and appreciated the close relationships and support from faculty who motivated her throughout her time in the program.
Shukeyla Harrison, Ph.D., has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and criminology, a Master of Business Administration, and a certificate in organizational leadership. She is a program director in the Office for the Advancement of Women in Science and Engineering at Kansas State University. Harrison enjoyed the supportive environment of the Leadership Communication team and met lifelong friends.
Harrison’s dissertation is titled, Illuminating black students’ experiences in higher education: A critical narrative inquiry. Her research examines the gap in Authentic Leadership Theory (ALT) by exploring how authenticity is shaped in academic settings, particularly between Black students and white faculty at predominantly white institutions. It investigates the impact of white fragility on Black students’ self-authenticity, both in college and beyond. The research highlights how these challenges affect academic success and post-graduation opportunities, emphasizing the need for more equitable educational environments.
Jurdene Coleman, Ph.D., has a bachelor of arts in psychology, a masters in family studies and human services, and a graduate certificate in qualitative research.
Her dissertation is titled, Black leadership in education governance: A critical autoethnographic study of school board service. Using autoethnography, Coleman’s dissertation explores the experiences of being a Black school board member in a predominantly white Kansas district, highlighting the impact of white supremacist organizational values on school board processes. The study examines the challenges of representation, the necessity of navigating double consciousness, and the barriers to Black participation in governance. Coleman expands on leadership-as-practice theory, offering concrete strategies to increase Black school board member engagement and advocating for more just and inclusive school boards.
Jurdene Coleman is a trainer for the Kansas Department of Education’s School Mental Health Initiative. She said the Leadership Communication doctoral program opened doors to collaborating with many organizations throughout the state, creating opportunities to build skills in civic facilitation, professional development and leadership coaching.
“Most importantly, the program taught me that leading change in communities/organizations starts with the people in those communities, and that is a lesson I will continue to exude in my professional experiences.”
Applications for the Leadership Communication doctoral program for the fall 2026 academic year are currently being accepted. Learn more.
Over 2019-2020, Third Floor Research conducted a study on a five-week leadership development program at the Kansas Leadership Center, involving approximately 230 employees from a high-tech company across five global sites. Phase 1 of the study, utilizing a survey-based qualitative approach, explored the challenges faced by organizations and their teams in the workplace, as well as the ways peers, employees, and superiors should address these challenges. Researchers Tim Steffensmeier and Tamas Kowalik from Kansas State University, along with Tim O’Brien from Harvard University, point our attention to these challenges in their published report 
