KU announces new cohort of Aspiring Leaders

LAWRENCE — Eighteen staff members from the University of Kansas and KU Medical Center will hone their leadership skills in 2024 by participating in the university’s Aspiring Leaders program. This is the ninth cohort since the program launched in 2017.

The six-month Aspiring Leaders program, originally designed in partnership with the Shared Service Centers leadership, provides an experiential, hands-on approach allowing participants to learn the essentials of effective leadership to lead from where they are within their organization while developing insights and skills that will support their career growth at the university.

The curriculum includes classroom sessions as well as individual coaching, small group collaborations and independent study and reflection to sustain the learning. Underpinning the program is the belief that deep awareness of self is required to be an effective leader. Therefore, participants engage in clarifying their strengths, developing their ability to manage self, thinking critically and engaging the practice of leadership through a reflective and intentional pursuit.

“KU has a number of outstanding programs to help staff develop key interpersonal and professional skills. The Aspiring Leaders program, in particular, strengthens our university by preparing staff to be future leaders within the institution,” said Mike Rounds, chief human resource officer.

The 2024 Aspiring Leaders:

• Jessy Ayestas, Office of Graduate Studies, awards & outreach coordinator
• Amy Carver, Office of Business & Financial Planning, intermediate financial analyst
• Kate Collins, College Office of Graduate Affairs, graduate program coordinator
• Jay Dillon, KU Medical Center, Sponsored Programs Administration, grants administrator
• Andre Faucher, Office of Research, facilities manager
• Lauren Fletcher, Life Span Institute, associate researcher
• Eric Havens, Information Technology, IT support technician senior
• Sean Hill, Office of Faculty Affairs, faculty appointment coordinator
• Tina Keeton, Enrollment Management, executive assistant
• Chally Miller, College Undergraduate Academic Services, administrative associate
• Max Paley, Kansas Public Radio, membership director
• Daniel Rivera, Madison & Lila Self Graduate Programs, recruitment coordinator
• Carol Rudolph, Information Technology, IT analyst
• Simon Schmidt, KU Medical Center, Research Administration, senior research fiscal analyst
• Vance Sorell, Operations, general maintenance repair technician
• Elise Stella, Award Management Services, grant coordinator
• Rose "Rocky" Wallace, School of Social Welfare, recruitment and outreach coordinator
• Zephyr Yu, Achievement & Assessment Institute, IT associate programmer.