About the Program
The Provost Leadership Program (PLP) began in Fall 2021 with the goal of developing academic leaders in formal administrative or academic leadership roles—such as associate or department chair, center or institute director, assistant or associate dean, or director of undergraduate or graduate studies—who are positioned to guide MU into the future. While the program values leadership in many forms, PLP is specifically designed for faculty whose roles include programmatic, personnel, or unit-level responsibilities rather than leadership of individual projects or scholarly teams. Upon completion of the program, PLP members will have gained practical skills to:
- Offer guidance and support to the faculty
- Strategically plan for the future of an academic school or department
- Work with a network of peers to tackle leadership concerns
- Build commitment among department colleagues toward academic excellence and the MU mission
The major components of this program include assessments, faculty panels, topics for reading and discussion (such as owning your story & journey as a leader, building teams, conflict management, etc.), MU-specific topics (such as budget, legal issues, communications, etc.), and leadership lunches.
PLP consists of 8 sessions between September and April on the MU campus.
2026-27 Cohort Directory
- Martin Appold, Geological Sciences
- Megan Arns, Music
- Raquel Alexandra Arouca, Graduate School
- Shawn Bender, Pathobiology & Integrative Biosciences
- Erika Boerman, Medical Pharmacology & Physiology
- Elizabeth Bryda, Pathobiology & Integrative Biosciences
- Carla Cornette, Languages, Literatures & Cultures
- Greg Cox, Health Sciences
- Magda Esebua, Pathology & Anatomical Sciences
- Nique Fajors, Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Marketing
- Cathleen Fleck, Visual Studies
- Ashley Givens, Social Work
- Laurie Kingsley, Learning, Teaching & Curriculum
- Ashlie Lester, Human Development & Family Science
- Hannah Leventhal, Veterinary Medicine & Surgery
- Willie Mack, Black Studies
- Lee Manion, English
- Marcello Mogetta, Classics, Archaeology & Religion
- Reza Montazami, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
- Laura Morris, Family & Community Medicine
- Hasan Naqvi, Medicine
- Jaume Padilla, Nutrition & Exercise Physiology
- Bryce Reeder, Government & Public Affairs
- Reg Rogers, Chemical & Biomedical Engineering
- Hannah Rubin, Philosophy
- Jim Sciffbauer, Geological Sciences
- Travis Shaffer, Visual Studies
- Debora Verniz, Architectural Studies
- Rachel Wolpert, Occupational Therapy
2026-2027 Session Dates:
All sessions except for April run from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M.
- September 9
- October 14
- November 12
- December 1
- January 27
- February 11
- March 9
- April 6 (10 A.M. to 12 P.M.)
Former PLP Member Testimonials
- “I honestly learned and grew from every session. Specifically, I feel more empowered to tackle budgets through our conversations. The budget panel was helpful, as were all of the panels. In addition, I thoroughly enjoyed the 360 assessment and structuring the program by the learning styles. Going into depth in those two areas helped strengthen my personal leadership style and grow my confidence.”
- “I learned communication skills and how DiSC profiles can be leveraged to improve message delivery and understanding. I have already started using this to plan my communication to try to understand how different personalities might receive my message and how I can tune my communication appropriately. I also learned a lot about resource allocation and how complex this becomes across different levels of leadership/administration.”
- “As I progressed through this program the content and activities built on each other and I was able to hone in on areas to improve. For example, early on I was aware of wanting gain confidence in my somewhat new leadership role. Self and 360 survey data confirmed I had many strengths but could improve on holding team members accountable. Thinking through content on how to have difficult conversations and the peer feedback from more seasoned leaders gave me an action plan. I truly grew as a leader in meaningful ways.”
- “I really enjoyed this program and gained a deeper understanding and appreciation for the roles from the various panels. This program helped me develop more confidence in my role and helped me understand my own strengths and weaknesses. Sitting at different tables each week, I got to know faculty that I would normally not cross paths with and learn about their strengths and challenges that they face in their departments.”
View a list of all former program participants.
Questions?
For questions about the Provost Leadership Program, please contact Carrie Nicholson (nicholsonc@missouri.edu) or Brian Houston (houstonjb@missouri.edu).