Penn named SEC Academic Leadership Development Program Fellow

Allisen Penn, associate dean and state program leader for Extension and outreach, is one of four distinguished University of Georgia faculty members who have been named Fellows of the Southeastern Conference Academic Leadership Development Program.

The program seeks to advance higher education leadership by preparing seasoned faculty leaders for careers in executive service. Ranging in leadership positions and academic interests, the fellows were named through a competitive process.

In addition to Penn, UGA’s 2024-25 SEC ALDP Fellows are:

Mike Pfarrer, C. Herman and Mary Virginia Terry Distinguished Chair of Business Administration and the associate dean for research and executive programs, Terry College of Business

Pej Rohani, Regents’ Professor and Georgia Athletic Association Professor, Odum School of Ecology and College of Veterinary Medicine; associate dean for academic affairs, Odum School of Ecology; and deputy director, Center for Influenza Disease and Emergence Research

Anne Shaffer, associate dean, Graduate School, and professor in the department of psychology, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences

“The SEC Academic Leadership Development Program prepares future leaders for roles where their impact on higher education will be felt for years to come,” said S. Jack Hu, the university’s senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “These four faculty members have already made tremendous contributions to our campus, and their selection as Fellows highlights their commitment to excellence in teaching, research and service.”

Penn works with state and community partners and leaders from other UGA colleges and units to successfully apply research to meet the state’s priority needs through Extension faculty located in all 159 Georgia counties. As co-chair of the Georgia Clinical Translational Science Alliance, she addresses health and wellness needs, particularly in rural and underserved populations by strengthening and expanding research collaboration with faculty from various disciplines.

Launched in 2007, SEC ALDP has three components: a university-level development program designed by each institution for its own participants; two SEC-wide three-day workshops held on specified campuses for all program participants; and a competitive fellowship designed to provide administrative growth opportunities for former fellows.

UGA’s Fellows will gather monthly on campus to meet with senior campus leaders and to participate in leadership development activities tailored to the cohort’s interests.

“Alumni of the SEC ALDP have advanced to serve UGA as deans, vice presidents, and other executive roles,” said Elizabeth Weeks, associate provost for faculty affairs, who serves as UGA’s SEC ALDP liaison. “By building on their already impressive leadership skills, this year’s talented cohort has the potential to make a lasting impact on their units, our campus, and beyond.”

The full version of this article, written by Mike Wooten, can be viewed at: https://news.uga.edu/uga-faculty-named-sec-academic-leadership-development-program-fellows/