This fall, the Ford School’s Leadership Initiative is launching a new program for graduate students to learn about different pathways to leadership from Ford School faculty in an intimate, informal setting.
Professor Morela Hernandez, director of the Leadership Initiative, will host two dinners at her home this semester with students and a featured faculty member.
“This [program] isn’t focused on the amazing research work of faculty, though that will surely come up,” said Hernandez. “It is a chance to hear how faculty found their voice, lessons learned, people who made a difference along the way, hard decisions, highs and lows, and anchors in their lives.”
The first dinner will take place on September 29 and feature Associate Dean Luke Shaefer, director of Poverty Solutions. The second dinner on October 28 will feature Professor Shobita Parthasarathy, director of the Science, Technology, and Public Policy program.
Ford School master's students are eligible to attend one dinner per semester and can indicate their interest here. With limited space at the events, faculty will randomly select 10-12 students to participate.
“After the recent years of primarily virtual or hybrid events, these dinners offer a new setting to build and deepen connections across our master’s programs,” Hernandez said.
“We hope that open conversations in small group settings will help demystify the different paths to leadership. There are many ways to become a leader and there is much to figure out and learn along the way.”
This story was updated to reflect a new date for the second faculty leadership dinner.
