Former President of University of Iowa to Speak at UK on Women in Higher Ed Leadership

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 6, 2016) — Sally Mason, a University of Kentucky alumna and former president of the University of Iowa will speak to the UK community at 3 p.m. Thursday, April 14, at the Boone Center. Her appearance on campus is hosted by the Women's Executive Leadership Development program (WELD), part of UK's Office for Faculty Advancement and Institutional Effectiveness. It is free and open to the public.

Mason, who served as the University of Iowa's 20th president from 2007 until her retirement in 2015, will talk about "The Challenges of Higher Education Leadership: Women as Leaders." 

A first generation college student, Mason earned her bachelor's degree in zoology from UK, her master's degree from Purdue University and her doctoral degree in cellular, molecular and developmental biology from the University of Arizona. She was a professor and college dean at the University of Kansas and then returned to Purdue as provost prior to becoming president of the University of Iowa. While there, she oversaw an historic era of campus transformation in the wake of the 2008 Iowa River flood that damaged more than 2 million square feet of building space. She also guided increases in enrollment, retention and graduation rates, a comprehensive fundraising campaign and many other accomplishments for the university.

In her speech on April 14, Mason will discuss her experiences in higher education including her time at UK, and she will talk about what it takes to prepare to lead public research universities today.

"I will address some of the real and perceived challenges to higher education today and going forward," Mason said. "I'll present information on women in leadership positions today and offer some thoughts as to what drives women to assume these positions and why the numbers of women in these positions appear to be plateauing or even declining."

Hollie Swanson, professor in the UK Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences and director of WELD, said Mason brings an important message about leadership.

"Dr. Mason has held a number of leadership positions in higher education and national organizations and is an outstanding role model for the women at the University of Kentucky who aspire to leadership positions," Swanson said.

The Women's Executive Leadership Development program seeks to develop a new generation of leaders in higher education, paying particular attention to a current deficit of female leadership. WELD offers an eight month curriculum consisting of two two-day retreats and monthly meetings covering topics that include leadership attributes, budgeting, strategic planning, legal issues and regulations, and crisis management. The 2016-17 WELD cohort is composed of 25 mid-to senior-level faculty members and 10 staff members who were selected in February via a highly competitive process. The program will begin in May with a two-day retreat.

The WELD participants will meet with Sally Mason during her visit to UK. A list of WELD participants is available here: http://uknow.uky.edu/sites/default/files/weld_participants_2016.docx.

For more information on WELD and how to apply for next year, visit www.uky.edu/ofa/content/WELD. 

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MEDIA CONTACT:  Kathy Johnson, 859-257-3155 or kathy.johnson@uky.edu