SACNAS - Previous Leadership Program Activities

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Previous Leadership Program Activities

The SACNAS Leadership Program began with the presentation of the 2008 Conference Leadership Workshops. Program offerings support the development of skilled leadership including professional growth in leadership styles, career planning, communication and negotiation, and more. The program is designed for both returning and new leadership participants. Participants who take part in consecutive institute offerings explore and develop new skills during each institute they attend while simultaneously strengthening skills introduced at earlier trainings. The following information provides background on previously offered leadership program activities.

2009 SACNAS Conference Leadership Workshops

In collaboration with the American Association for the Advancement of Science, SACNAS presented an exciting full-day preconference event designed to amplify the leadership capacities of postdocs, early career professionals, The 2009 Conference Leadership Workshops featured top-notch facilitators covering an array of topics critical to the further development of leadership skills. Special emphasis was placed on both unique challenges faced at particular career levels and broader leadership development themes. In addition to substantive workshops, the Leadership Workshops featured a breakfast panel discussion and a lunch keynote address.

Sessions included:

Leadership Style: Self Evaluation and Assessment

Facilitators:

Joseph Garcia, PhD, Associate Dean & Director, Center for Excellence in Management Education, Western Washington University

Persuasion and Negotiation

Facilitators:

Antoinette Torres, Associate Vice Provost for Academic Advising, Retention, Diversity, Drexel University

How to Build Effective Partnerships and Teams and Cultivate Constructive Working Relationships

Facilitators:

Maria Teresa Velez, PhD, Associate Dean, Graduate College, University of Arizona; and, Member of SACNAS Board of Directors

Listening for Leadership: The Art of Soliciting Honest Feedback, Summarizing and Synthesizing Information for Personal Leadership

Facilitators:

Clifton Poodry, PhD, Director, Division of Minority Opportunities in Research, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institutes of Health
Ernest Márquez, PhD, Health Sciences Administrator (Retired), National Institutes of Health; and, Member of SACNAS Board of Directors

Career Planning and Individual Development Plan

Facilitators:

Bill Lindstaedt, MS, Director, Career and Professional Development, University of California, San Francisco
Philip Clifford PhD, Professor and Associate Dean for Postdoctoral Education, Medical College of Wisconsin, VA Medical Center

2008 SACNAS Conference Leadership Workshops

Leadership workshops were organized in three tracks to meet the specific needs of postdocs and professionals at critical junctures in their career and leadership development.

The SACNAS Professional at Mid-Career—Negotiating the Forks in the Road

Session Description: This workshop was targeted to scientists at mid-career—rising associate professors and recent full professors, as well as those on a non-academic trajectory. In a fluid global economy, scientists should be prepared to pursue various pathways. Negotiating the forks in the road requires the acquisition of skills and strategies. Ultimately, to take the “next big step,” one should have a Leadership Development Plan. The workshop training sought to:

sketch the policy context in which 21st century careers in science unfold
help participants think about their leadership opportunities and responsibilities—in academe, government, and industry
elucidate the skills (e.g., diversity knowledge, evaluation expertise), and experiences (e.g., administration) that will advance them
examine strategies for negotiating opportunities and barriers, such as team-building, collaboration more broadly, cultural competence, program design
initiate a Leadership Development Plan to be refined at their home institution, and through quarterly reports to SACNAS and at the 2009 summer leadership institute

Facilitators:

Anthony L. DePass, PhD, Associate Dean for Research & Associate Professor of Biology, Long Island University–Brooklyn Campus
Richard Weibl, Director, Center for Careers in Science and Technology, American Association for the Advancement in Science
Sonia Ortega, PhD, Program Director, Division of Graduate Education, National Science Foundation (view Dr. Ortega's profile (PDF) in the SACNAS Biography Project)
Kimberly Markiewicz, Manager of Employee Engagement and Inclusion, E.I. Du Pont De Nemours & Co., Inc.

Junior Faculty & Professionals

Session Description: This interactive workshop explored the long view of ones career from an inside out perspective. Starting with aspirations and talents, participants developed a lifeline approach to examining different paths to becoming a successful senior academic scientist as a person of color. In the discussions attendees weighed approaches to effectively balancing research, teaching, and service over the course of one’s career and identifying potential obstacles and opportunities that one may encounter along the path. Special attention was paid to participant interests in developing supportive social networks among other successful academicians. At the conclusion of the session all participants created a working development plan to be used as a tool for guiding career decisions.

Facilitator:

Joseph Garcia, PhD, Associate Dean & Director, Center for Excellence in Management Education, Western Washington University

Postdocs—Creating Your Individual Development Plan

Session Description: Postdoctoral fellows are at a critical juncture in their careers where decisions need to be made about their career paths. Unfortunately, postdocs are often unaware of the variety of career options and do not have access to professional career advice to help guide them through the process. The objective of this workshop was to provide a process which postdocs can use to create a career plan that is tailored to their own individual strengths and aspirations. Participants were led through exercises intended to assist in self-exploration and they were provided with tools to assist in career exploration. By the end of the session participants had set specific goals for taking charge of their own careers.

Facilitators:

Philip S. Clifford, PhD, Professor & Associate Dean for Postdoctoral Education, Medical College of Wisconsin
William Lindstaedt, PhD, Director, Office of Career and Professional Development, University of California, San Francisco

Additional Information

To receive more information or assistance regarding the SACNAS Leadership Program, contact Tanya Beat, Interim Director of Programs at tanya@sacnas.org.