The Impact of HERS: Elizabeth Chilton

Dr. Elizabeth Chilton is forging a new leadership path in her role as Pullman Chancellor and System Provost for Washington State University. Previously, WSU’s president served as de facto chancellor for the flagship Pullman campus. Last year, Dr. Chilton was appointed its first chancellor and is developing a new leadership and reporting structure. “With our system’s evolution, it became clear that there needed to be a full-time leader in this role,” said Chilton. “The most rewarding part of my job is building the leadership team and seeing how they work together and making sure they have the resources, mentoring, and support they need.”

According to Dr. Chilton, “I don’t believe that people are born with any particular set of leadership skills. It’s a process. You have to get a sense of what people know and where they want to make an impact.” As a graduate of the HERS Leadership Institute (HLI) at the University of

Denver in 2012, Dr. Chilton had the chance to discern personal strengths and envision her next steps at a pivotal point in her career.

“At the time I wasn’t certain if I wanted to pursue a career in administration or return to the faculty and continue my career in archaeology. My dean nominated me for HLI, and I questioned whether I needed it. I’d been chair for six years already!” said Chilton. “But I was at a crossroads, and I thought it was great timing. At HLI, I decided that my next big move would be a dean of arts and sciences at a large public research university. HERS gave me the opportunity to spend time with an extraordinarily diverse group of women to explore who I was, what my talents were, and where I could make the strongest impact in higher ed.”

For Dr. Chilton, the benefits of participating in HLI extend well beyond the time spent in residence. “For many women, it is the first time they’ve had an extended experience of a women-only living, learning, and socializing space. My cohort is an amazing group that I continue to turn to for advice and support.”

In her view, an equally important aspect of HERS is that the program “encourages us to be mindful of our career path rather than get pulled along into positions because we are tapped for them,” said Chilton. She is intentional in paying it forward by cultivating and supporting a diverse group of women leaders across higher ed. In fact, this is something she prioritized at the onset of her leadership. “HERS helps women grow and thrive where they are and return from the experience as better leaders. Each of the seven women I nominated for HERS last summer came back to WSU fully energized and several have pursued new leadership positions at WSU. It’s just one of many examples of HERS alums applying the HERS leadership model to strengthen their institutions.”