Junior Faculty Leadership Training

Twenty early-career faculty from higher education institutions across New Mexico convened for 3 days in January for a variety of workshop activities designed to enhance their leadership skills and increase their competitiveness for national-level funding opportunities. Topics were wide-ranging, including communication with decision-makers, proposal development, management of large research projects and laboratories, meeting facilitation and “broadening impacts” through education and outreach. A sample of presentations and activities are below.

• Scott Collins (Director, Sevilleta LTER Program, UNM) conducted a session on writing competitive research proposals and management skills needed to conduct a successful research projects.



• William Michener (NM EPSCoR Executive Director) and Kristin Vanderbilt (Sevilleta LTER Program, UNM ) worked with faculty on time management, personnel management, and project management tools.



• Mike Pullin (Assistant Professor, NMT) discussed his success with undergraduate research programs and the importance of engaging students in research early on in their academic careers.



• Kirk Minnick (CEO, Minnick and Associates) provided approaches and examples of effective research program evaluation and assessment and how to meet the evaluation expectations of science funding agencies.



• Carl Moore (The Community Store) led a series of exercises and activities designed to help young faculty understand their own leadership style and how to develop a skill set that supports their growth as a leader. Carl also helped faculty acquire strategies and techniques for effective meeting facilitation.



• Nadine Lymn (Ecological Society of America) and Robert Gropp (American Institute of Biological Sciences) led a hands-on workshop designed to help faculty communicate science more effectively to decision-makers. Participants engaged in mock meetings and dialogues in which they interacted with political figures, the press, and funding agency program managers or representatives. The exercise was especially tailored to help young faculty gain experience in communicating and obtaining funding from federal science funding entities.