Full-day workshop on leadership styles offered at Fairfield University

Paul Maloney, Ed.D., a Fairfield University assistant professor who has been a senior manager at several international corporations, will lead a full-day workshop, "Leadership Styles," on Friday, May 3. The event will run from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Fairfield University's Alumni House. The fee is $99.

Today's leaders function in a dynamic and ever-changing environment. Dr. Maloney, an assistant professor of the practice in industrial and organizational psychology, will help participants develop the skills they need to deal effectively with changing situations using different styles. Through discussion, case studies and role play, participants will learn to: explain the difference between management and leadership; specify four key styles of leadership and tell when to use each; develop a vision statement; create an action plan for their own development; and more.

Dr. Maloney teaches in the Applied Psychology program in Fairfield's Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions. His career includes senior management and development positions at NBC, Mobil Oil Corporation, and PepsiCo International, and he has consulted worldwide for American Airlines, Covidien, GE, Schering-Plough, Kodak, Gartner and many other organizations. His specialties include change management, communications, executive feedback and coaching, and presentation skills. He received his doctorate from the University of Virginia.

To register for this workshop, go to www.fairfield.edu/maloney or call Janine Huber at (203) 254-4000 ext. 2140.

Media Contact: Meredith Guinness, (203) 254-4000, ext. 2950, mguinness@fairfield.edu

Posted on March 21, 2013

Vol. 44, No. 221

View the original article here

Read More

Fielding Graduate University President takes leadership role in gun violence initiative

Posted by Hilary Edwards on Wed, Feb 20, 2013

Late last year, Meyers became one of the first university presidents to sign an open letter, written on behalf of College Presidents for Gun Safety, addressed to the nation’s policy makers urging the timely passage of gun safety legislation.  Since its release, the letter and accompanying petition have been signed by more than 350 higher education leaders. 

While Meyers was in Washington, D.C. last week for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) National Conference, he attended a press conference with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and had the opportunity to speak to personally, as well as Mayors Against Illegal Guns, the executive committee of the American Association of Universities, the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators and the United States Student Association.  Meyers was one of approximately 100 college and university presidents who attended the press conference as a show of force. 

In addition to attending the press conference, Meyers also spent time visiting with congressional representatives and participated in a collaborative meeting with Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a group that is coordinated out of mayor Bloomberg’s office in New York. Meyers agreed to serve as a liaison to the national movement on behalf of leaders from California independent colleges. To this end, he plans to actively work to increase the number of university presidents supporting the gun control legislation nationwide to reach the goal of 1,000 signatories.

College Presidents for Gun Safety

Mayors Against Illegal Guns

News Archive

View the original article here

Read More

Diversity and leadership conference takes place Feb. 22-23

Participants in the program will discuss the relationship between leadership, diversity and social justice.

*****

By Caitlin O’Donnell ’13

Elon University will host this week its annual INTERSECT: Diversity and Leadership Conference, a two-day event coordinated by The Center for Leadership and The Multicultural Center.

Faculty, staff, students and other attendees will engage in dialogue, reflection and training through workshops and keynote speeches exploring the relationship between leadership, diversity and social justice.

Featured presenters this year include Christina Lovelace, a spoken word artist and motivational speaker; Silvia Cristina Bettez, an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro; and activist Zach Wahls. In February 2011, Wahls became an overnight Internet celebrity after testifying before the Iowa House of Representatives about growing up with two moms and his support for same-sex marriage.

Participants will also attend sessions revolving around issues of immigration, non-verbal communication and strengthening an organization’s identity led by Elon students, faculty and staff.

Seniors Lizzy Appleby, Jessica Elizondo and Will Brummett will guide a discussion about participating in civic engagement in the community. Rebecca Bishopric, Elon’s coordinator for violence prevention and response, will lead a session about identity-based discrimination and violence and instruct participants in how to safely intervene in situations of harassment on campus.

The conference was founded from two previously independent organizations, an earlier version of the Diversity Leadership Conference, launched in 2009, and the Leadership Development Institute, created in 1997. Previous keynote speakers include activist and BET personality Jeff Johnson and anti-racism author Tim Wise.

A committee of eight students coordinated this year’s conference. The theme of the event reflects Elon Commitment strategic plan's call for an unprecedented commitment to diversity and global engagement.

Email Author Your Email *
Message *
by Eric Townsend, Staff Last Updated - 2/19/2013

View the original article here

Read More

Leadership graduate student offering hope and healing to native Congo

These days, Trésor Yenyi spends his time in Evangel’s Klaude Kendrick Library completing the normal tasks of a graduate student. It’s a far cry from Yenyi’s youth, where he intimately experienced the fallout from war and poverty in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

But while Yenyi tends to his studies in the United States, DR Congo is never far from his mind.

What fellow students in the library would never suspect, is that in between writing papers and completing research projects, this graduate student is also running the day-to-day operations of a nonprofit organization on the other side of the world.

Yenyi, who is pursuing a Master of Organizational Leadership degree from Evangel, is founder and president of Mwangaza International, an organization that endeavors to rehabilitate the lives of the abused in DR Congo.

During his undergraduate studies at Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Missouri, Yenyi began to grasp the incredible needs of his homeland and resolved to provide spiritual and humanitarian aid. Mwangaza, meaning “tower of light” was founded in response to his calling.

Yenyi coordinates compassion and development projects aimed at helping children and vulnerable people in DR Congo.

Many of those helped by Mwangaza have been affected by war and turmoil. They include refugees, rape victims, orphaned children, AIDS victims and child soldiers. A child-sponsorship program that includes art therapy impacts school-age children. Other creative outreaches include a choir comprised of orphans and a business where single mothers can make and sell authentic gift items to support their families.

Yenyi orchestrates compassion and development projects across DR Congo by utilizing technology, coordinating volunteers and communicating with key contacts such as his sister Rose, an attorney who is his “right hand man” on the ground. Yenyi also travels to join his Congolese team throughout summers and winter breaks when possible.

The path to Evangel extends back many years for Yenyi, who found salvation at an Assemblies of God church called La Borne in the capital city of DR Congo, Kinshasa. After earning his bachelor’s degree, Yenyi researched Evangel, and settled on attending an Adult and Graduate Studies Open House in February 2012.

“When I came to Evangel for the open house, I sensed the spiritual environment was what I was looking for in a graduate school” Yenyi says. “I came to campus interested in the Counseling program, but Dr. (Jeff) Fulks listened to my career aspirations and directed me toward Organizational Leadership.”

Fulks says after hearing that Yenyi’s career involved fundraising, strategic planning and managing people, Organizational Leadership came to mind as the right fit.

“The people Trésor helps certainly need counseling, and his background there will be helpful. However, since he deals with daily leadership decisions, the MOL program provides core training that will make him and his organization successful in all aspects,” Fulks says.

Once admitted to the program, Yenyi encountered others who shared his common values and mission.

“The Graduate Admissions counselor Micah (Hildreth) went above and beyond to help me work through the details as an international student” Yenyi says. “He went to the Registrar’s office with me and even helped navigate Financial Aid.”

Then, during a tornado threat in Joplin last fall, Yenyi had an unexpected exchange with graduate professor Dr. Linda Wellborn.

“I e-mailed Dr. Wellborn on short notice to tell her I would not be there due to the warning” Yenyi says. “Immediately, she wrote back saying she would be praying for my safety. The next week in class, the entire group prayed and thanked God for delivering me from danger.”

With each class and semester, Yenyi gains a deeper understanding of how to be a better steward of the resources God has placed under his supervision. Most of his projects are focused on Mwangaza in order to practically apply lessons and “look in the mirror” as a leader.

“The blessing of the program to me is the introspection,” Yenyi says. “The learning experience is deep because I have to process the information in the classroom, and then think about how to apply it with the logistical and cultural difficulties of DR Congo.”

Mwangaza, still based in Joplin, achieved key recognitions over the past few years to foster future growth. First, it was granted domestic 501 (c)(3) status, making donations tax exempt. Then the Congolese government approved Mwangaza as a Non-Government Organization (NGO), giving official permission to provide humanitarian relief and receive government funding.

Mwangaza and Yenyi have a hopeful vision for the future of DR Congo, which is currently among the world’s poorest and most volatile countries. Yenyi’s first book, Journey to the Heart of Darkness, chronicled stories of heart break from his travels. Now, he wants to see redemption and healing through the efforts of his organization.

“I am thrilled to be at Evangel, where God has placed me and to focus my efforts on building His kingdom” Yenyi says. “I want each person we help to know Jesus and experience His grace. As long as that is our focus, we will do whatever it takes to help.”

 — Bryce Wilks is Web Editor for Evangel University

View the original article here

Read More

Agreement between RCNET, Excelsior College Set to Fill Nuclear Industry Leadership Void

Agreement between RCNET, Excelsior College Set to Fill Nuclear Industry Leadership Void

By Mike Lesczinski, Excelsior Life News Staff--

Excelsior College and the Regional Center for Nuclear Education and Training (RCNET) today announced a new educational partnership aimed at developing the next generation of nuclear industry leaders. The RCNET is comprised of 37 community colleges that follow the Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Program (NUCP), a framework for educating and developing operators and technicians for nuclear power plants.

Under the educational agreement, graduates of these associate degree programs will be able to pursue, at a reduced cost, a bachelor’s degree from Excelsior’s accredited program in nuclear engineering technology or other technical areas. A four-year degree is widely considered preferred path for leadership positions within most nuclear facilities.
Currently, there are 1,368 students enrolled in RCNET programs eligible under this agreement.

“The looming workforce shortage in the nuclear industry affects all levels including leadership. This partnership between Excelsior and RCNET helps address this leadership void by providing technicians affordable, doable pathways to advanced degrees and leadership training,” said Kevin Cooper, director of the Regional Center for Nuclear Education and Training.

“Just as the NUCP has created a pipeline of nuclear technicians, this agreement between Excelsior and RCNET will help produce seasoned nuclear leaders capable of navigating the industry through the many challenges that lie ahead,” said Dr. Jane LeClair, dean of Excelsior College’s School of Business and Technology.

With 39 percent of the nuclear workforce eligible for retirement by 2016, the nuclear industry launched NUCP in 2007, a standardized educational program for operators and technicians in nuclear facilities.

RCNET, the first of its kind in the nation, was established at Indian River State College in 2012 through a $3.1 million National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) grant. Acting as a centralized resource, RCNET will provide curriculum, training for faculty and staff and facilitate communication and collaboration across the nuclear industry, colleges and universities.

Excelsior College, a private, nonprofit distance learning institution in Albany, New York was founded in 1971. It is comprised of four schools: Business and Technology, Health Sciences, Liberal Arts and Nursing. Excelsior's Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering Technology is accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202, 410-347-7700; www.abet.org, ABET is a specialized accrediting agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

View the original article here

Read More