CSSE professor one of 30 to earn fellowship in Drexel's ELATES program
Published: Aug 26, 2022 7:40 AM
By Joe McAdory
Cheryl Seals, the Charles W. Barkley Professor in computer science and software engineering, was one among the 30 academicians selected to Drexel University’s Executive Leadership in Academic Technology, Engineering and Science (ELATES) Fellowship program for 2022-23.
ELATES is a national leadership development program designed to promote women in academic STEM fields, and faculty allies of all genders, into institutional leadership roles. The cohort represents more than 25 institutions of higher education across the U.S. and Canada. ELATES Fellows include experts in engineering, mathematics and science, all of whom have significant administrative experience in addition to their scholarly accomplishments.
Seals was nominated by senior leadership for this intensive, yearlong program, which includes eight to 10 hours per week of personal and leadership development work as well as three series of on-site work in Philadelphia, home of Drexel University.
“What excited me about the ELATES program was the strength of its curriculum that enriches the development of rising leaders, increases their knowledge of best practices and expands their professional networks,” Seals said. “My goals for attending this program are to gain more exposure to leadership best practices, gain a better understanding of organizational behavior, gain a better understanding of university-level finance and develop a better understanding of my leadership style through executive coaching.”
Seals, a member of the Presidential Taskforce on Opportunity and Equity, was the former acting director of the college’s Center for Inclusive Engineering Excellence in Engineering from 2014-2015.
Seals is a leading researcher in human-centered AI and advanced learning technologies. She has directed dozens of projects through her Auburn University HCI Research Lab and has managed several multi-institutional projects supporting broadening participation in computing, STEM outreach and Extension.
Facilitated by leaders in the fields of STEM research and leadership development, the ELATES curriculum is focused on increasing fellows’ personal and professional leadership effectiveness, from the ability to lead and manage change initiatives within institutions, to the use of strategic finance and resource management to enhance organizational missions. Pairing online instruction and discussion with intensive, in-person seminar sessions, the program encourages fellows to apply what they have learned at their home institutions. Ultimately, it aims to create a network of exceptional faculty who bring broad organizational perspectives and deep personal capacity to the institutions and society they serve.
Media Contact: , jem0040@auburn.edu, 334.844.3447
