Members of the cohort celebrate completing the series with a finale that blended team building, reflection and creativity.
Staff advancing leadership excellence
Congratulations to The Women's Place Staff Leadership Series 2023-24 cohort for completing the series in August 2024.
Ohio State University staff are diligently working to enhance their leadership skills.
The staff listed below who participated in the 2023-24 cohort of The Women's Place Staff Leadership Series (SLS) completed the program in August 2024. Now they are better equipped to step into new leadership roles and responsibilities.
"SLS has been an extremely positive influence on my professional growth and development, more than I could have ever expected. I find myself promoting and praising this wonderful opportunity to everyone. You have made a lasting impression on my life and I am sure many cohorts before me."
The SLS is a 12-month, experiential program hosted by The Women's Place that enhances leadership capacity; cultivates supportive professional networks; and facilitates skills development to help staff become more effective, innovative and inclusive leaders. It creates a pool of potential staff leaders from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in key leadership roles.
SLS graduates are equipped with relevant skills for the following:
- Leveraging personal strengths of self and others for effective leadership
- Relating to people and conducting difficult conversations
- Coaching peers and direct reports effectively using multiple techniques
- Strategizing to successfully deal with interpersonal and environmental demands
- Delegating and project management
- Cultivating an inclusive environment in which diversity is valued
- Conducting inclusive conversations, building effective teams, and solving problems
Members of the 2023-24 cohort are uniquely qualified for higher education administration at Ohio State and to cultivate a more equitable environment, a culture in which all can thrive.
"Thank you so much for facilitating this opportunity for us to grow, learn and meet fabulous new people. Opportunities like this are few and far between particularly for staff, and I appreciate you all working to provide a space for us to become our best selves."
Since its founding, SLS has trained more than 350 staff who have emerged as leaders both here at Ohio State and elsewhere in higher education. Alumni of the program represent all colleges, medical and academic campuses, and five regional campuses. Some of the most notable alumni of the program now occupy positions such as associate vice president, assistant dean and assistant vice provost.
Through the SLS, the university has greater access to leaders who bring diverse ideas and perspectives, enthusiasm, and ingenuity to their work environments. Please consider the following trained and motivated staff, along with previous graduates, for leadership positions in your units and colleges.
2023-24 Staff Leadership Series Graduates
Sophia Antoun |
| DEI Education Program Specialist, The Office of Inclusive Excellence |
Jennifer Baughman |
| Director, Clinical Operations, University Hospital |
La Tina Bebout |
| Executive Assistant to Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, College of Engineering |
Diana Burdette |
| Grants and Contracts Management Analyst, College of Pharmacy |
Uma Chaudhary |
| Manager, Facilities Services, University Hospital - Environmental Services |
Autumn Davis Hammonds |
| Athletic Trainer, Sports Medicine Administration |
Sandra Dawkins |
| Director of Admissions and Recruitment and Co-Director for Inclusive Excellence, College of Veterinary Medicine |
Christina Dierkes |
| Content Strategist, Marketing & Communications, College of Arts and Sciences |
Stacey Dorr |
| Director, Strategic Marketing and Communications, College of Education and Human Ecology |
Lisa Frazier |
| Senior Researcher, Battelle Center for Science, Engineering and Public Policy, John Glenn College of Public Affairs |
Frida Gillespie |
| Assistant Director, Housing and Residence Education, Student Life |
Brianna Johnson |
| Manager - Program Services, Newark Office of the Dean |
Indra Leyva Cook |
| Associate Director of Belonging and Student Support, Center for Belonging and Social Change - Office of Student Life |
Crista Marbley |
| Faculty Affairs Analyst, Office of Faculty Affairs, College of Medicine |
Melissa Metz |
| Manager - Facility and Infrastructure Assessments, Facilities, Operations, and Development |
Natalie Mustard |
| Patient Accounting Manager, Health System Shared Services - Patient Accounting and Revenue Cycle |
Mitsu Narui |
| Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment, Office of Institutional Research and Planning - OAA |
Kia Parker |
| Infection Preventionist, James Cancer Hospital - Hospital Epidemiology |
Kathryn Passen |
| Director, Undergraduate Student Career Development, Office of Career Management, Fisher College of Business |
Nicole Pizarro |
| Instructional Designer, OAA Distance Learning |
Lucia Rosas |
| Research Scientist, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine |
Megan Sayres |
| Faculty Affairs Specialist, Office of Faculty Affairs - OAA |
Tonya Schmauder |
| Clinical Lead Psychotherapist, Harding Hospital Outpatient Services |
Joanna Spanos |
| Advising Manager, Honors Advising, College of Arts and Sciences |
Morgan Vibbert |
| Care Manager, Student Life - Counseling and Consultation |