RUSSELL G. HAMILTON GRADUATE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2020-2021
20-21 VANDERBILT UNIVERISTY GRADUTE SCHOOL
MESSAGE FROM THE VICE PROVOST FOR GRADUATE EDUCATION & DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
The Russell G. Hamilton Graduate Leadership Institute was established to elevate graduate training at Vanderbilt, benefitting students in their future endeavors both within the academy and beyond. We are committed to training tomorrow's leaders through a collaborative culture that encourages interdisciplinary discovery and skill acquisition beyond traditional coursework and research. The highlight of this year has been watching students embrace the new programming and utilize their enhanced skill set. I have been incredibly impressed by the students who have stepped forward in a time of crisis to find thoughtful and innovative approaches to maintain a sense of community among our graduate students. This ingenuity has not been limited to the COVID-19 response. Throughout the 2019-2020 year, students have approached us with ideas for student-led projects and programs that amplify the interdisciplinary endeavors of the university, create opportunities to interface with the larger Nashville community, and address the professional development needs of their peers. Our graduate students make me especially optimistic for the future. It has been a delight to support them, and we are excited to continue to do so in the coming academic year.
C. André Christie-Mizell, Ph.D. Vice Provost for Graduate Education Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs Dean of the Graduate School Centennial Professor of Sociology
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
Letter from Dr. Christie-Mizell, Vice Provost of Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School
3
Introduction to the Graduate Leadership Institute
4
Population Served
5
Graduate Leadership Institute Participants
7
Student Directed Funds
10
Leadership Skills Workshops
14
Professional Development Workshops & Events
16
Bass Military Scholars Leadership Series: Leadership Lessons from the U.S. Military
17
Beyond VU Alumni Perspectives Series
19
Strenghts-based Leadership Coaching
19
Additional Programs Supported
THE GRADUATE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
MISSION The Graduate Leadership Institute (GLI) provides graduate students with the tools to thrive in leadership roles at all levels, and the ability to recognize and develop leadership skills in themselves and others. We do so by facilitating opportunities for professional and academic development across a wide range of academic disciplines, as well as fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among students.
2020-2021 HIGHLIGHTS During the 2020-2021 academic year the GLI successfully pivoted to a fully virtual program format, offering 12 leadership and professional development workshops, 5 panel discussions, and 6 alumni features. New programming was created, including Beyond VU: Alumni Perspectives, to leveraged the benefits of virtual event and connect students with alumni from across the United States and internationally. A collaborative partnership was established with the Bass Military Scholars Program, which resulted in a four-part 2020 Young Leaders Panel Series. The GLI started offering Strengths-based leadership coaching in the Spring. Through grants, workshops, and co-sponsored events, the GLI reached over 12% of the graduate student population during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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POPULATION SERVED GLI programming is open to all Graduate School students, PhD, MA, MFA, MLAS, & MS degrees, as well as the Vanderbilt postdoc population. The charts (graduate students only) and metrics below provide an overview of the population served.
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
60 GRADUATE STUDENTS
2027 POSTDOCS
701
Medicine 29%
A&S 32%
College/ School Peabody 9% Nursing 1 % Law 0% Grad School 3%
Divinity 2% Engineering 24%
Social Sciences 13% Natural Sciences 10% Interdiscip. 2% Humanities 9%
Program Discipline
Engineering 24%
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Biomedical/ Biological Sciences 33%
Education 9%
GLI PARTICIPANTS
Other 7% Postdoc 9%
Faculty & Staff 7% Masters 6% PhD 1st Yr 11%
PhD 6th+ Yr 9%
PhD 2nd Yr 10%
PhD 5th Yr 13%
PhD 4th Yr 14%
PhD 3th Yr 14%
TOTAL PARTICIPANTS
INDIVIDUALS IMPACTED*
420
340
While fully virtual, GLI programs, events, and cosponsored events impacted 12% of the graduate school student population.
Additionally, GLI programming benefitted Postdocs, Faculty, Staff, Professional Students & Undergraduates. *If students attended multiple events, they are only counted one time under the Individuals Impacted metric
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GRAD STUDENT PARTICIPANTS PhD, MA, MFA, MLAS, & MS students
Peabody 10% Nursing 4%
GRADUATE STUDENT PARTICIPANTS
A&S 28%
340
College/ School
Divinity 2%
Medicine 34% Grad School 2%
Engineering 20%
246 GRADUATE PROGRAMS IMPACTED
Social Sciences 12% Natural Sciences 11% Humanities 8%
Program Discipline
Engineering 20%
GRADUATE STUDENTS IMPACTED
Biomedical/ Biological Sciences 42%
Education 7%
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50 Representation of program disciplines, as well as colleges and schools, among GLI program participants is proportional to the demographics represented in the entire graduate student population (see Population Served - p.4).
STUDENT DIRECTED FUNDS
37
$50K
GRANTS
AWARDED
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24 PROGRAMS IMPACTED
DISSERTATION ENHANCEMENT GRANT Dissertation enhancement grants are awarded to students with outstanding potential to accelerate progress on their research, adding depth or breadth to their PhD doctoral thesis.
19
"Applying for the DEG gave me a great experience in budgeting for experiments, effectively using resources, and gave me confidence that I can develop and implement new methodologies!"
Biomedical/ Biological Sciences 21%
GRANTS AWARDED Social Sciences 37%
15 PROGRAMS REPRESENTED
$35,556
Kensey Bergdorf-Smith, Pharmacology
Program Discipline
Natural Sciences 11%
Education 10%
Engineering 21%
IN AWARDS
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING GRANT The GLI Travel Grants were rebranded this year in an effort to support a wider variety of opportunities for students. The Professional Development & Training Grants support graduate students pursuing opportunities to further develop their academic and professional skills.
18 GRANTS AWARDED
13 PROGRAMS REPRESENTED
$14,512
Biomedical/ Biological Sciences 22%
Social Sciences 28%
Program Discipline Natural Sciences 5%
Engineering 17% Humanities 28%
IN AWARDS
"because I was able to learn the fundamentals of programming with python and was exposed to what one can do regarding machine learning in the humanities through the SSDA project, I am delving more deeply into the world of natural language processing (nlp) to incorporate it to my own research and to my skillset."
Maria Paula Andrade, History
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EVENTS & WORKSHOPS
"I would recommend this to anyone who wants to do more to effect change." "Today’s workshop was awesome! "
"Went beyond my expectations! Deserves an A+!"
"Keep doing this. It is great!!!"
"Amazing workshop! "
"Thank you so much! Please offer this again."
All quotes in the following sections of the GLI Annual Report are pulled from anonymous participant surveys
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LEADERSHIP SKILLS WORKSHOPS
SELF-REGULATION: MANAGING POTENTIAL DERAILERS
17 PARTICIPANTS
11 PROGRAMS REPRESENTED
Graduate students and postdocs explored the neuroscience of stress reactions, the situations that trigger reactions (and the impact of those reactions on others), and strategies for managing these reactions to be at our best when people need us the most.
"Another graduate student in my lab recommended this to and we attended from work and after attending we had a conversation with some of our lab mates about the lab culture and about avoiding over-stressing and it was an insightful discussion to have with peers. I also think it allowed us to learn how to better support each other. We have already designated a white board for each of us to write our morning gratitude on. I think this seminar will positively effect changes in my lab for many months to years to come."
Facilitator: Daniel LeBreton, PhD Organizational Psychologist
"I just really enjoyed this seminar! I think talking about mental health and stress is not talked about enough and I loved hearing the science perspective alongside the constructive ideas on how to make changes in perspective. I highly highly recommend this seminar to seriously all graduate students. As soon as the seminar ended, I gathered my coworkers to go through the exercise to talk about what was a trigger, how we felt, and what the reaction was and we all contributed to helping find a new solution to those scenarios. It definitely opened up a dialogue with those who interact with me from day to day and for all of us to become more mindful of ourselves and one another."
"It helped me pause and think of more suitable responses".
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LEADERSHIP SKILLS WORKSHOPS
STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING RESILIENCE
16 PARTICIPANTS
14 PROGRAMS REPRESENTED
This two-part workshop focused on developing real-world skills for times of challenge and personal growth. Participants examined resiliencebased strategies to mitigate the potential negative impact of stressors and engaged in dialogue around their respective practices, routines, and habits that help them successfully navigate difficult situations.
Facilitator: Jason Steinas, EdD Wellbeing Coordinator
THE ART OF NEGOTIATION
10 PARTICIPANTS
5 PROGRAMS REPRESENTED
Workshop participants explored the dominant approaches to negotiation, how gender shapes negotiation, and strategies for dealing with associated social norms. Through simulated exercises participants broadened their understanding of their own negotiation tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses.
"I really liked this workshop: the content, the format and the speaker. All together, I am really, really satisfied, so much that I am thinking about taking a negotiation course next semester. "
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Facilitator: Kendall Park, PhD Assistant Professor of Organization Studies
"I was pleasantly surprised by how much I learned and was able to implement in our practice sessions."
LEADERSHIP SKILLS WORKSHOPS
MOTIVATING OTHERS: LEADING WITHOUT POWER
12 PARTICIPANTS
12 PROGRAMS REPRESENTED
How do you lead when you are not in charge? Graduate students explored leadership in collaborative settings and cross-functional teams, where ones ability to motivate and direct others can be crucial to success. Chris Guthrie, Dean of the Vanderbilt Law School shared researchbased motivational tactics that can be employed to meet group objectives
Facilitator: Chris Guthrie, JD Dean, Vanderbilt Law School
"The 5 tips to lead without power were surprisingly simple. The entire workshop was easily implementable in my day-to-day life and extremely valuable."
ESSENTIAL LEADERSHIP SKILLS IN THE RESEARCH WORKPLACE: COMMUNICATING, MANAGING, & MENTORING IN THE LAB
17 PARTICIPANTS
12 PROGRAMS REPRESENTED
This interactive, two-part workshop explored techniques for dealing with challenging situations and people in the scientific workplace: practical approaches to conflict resolution and negotiation, meaningful goals for themselves and others, how to give and receive effective feedback, and how to use performance reviews to remain focused, motivated and productive.
"Very impressive workshop. I gained lots of new insight and skills and think Dr. Cohen is a fabulous facilitator. He kept the group energized and engaged even over Zoom." PAGE 12
Facilitator: Carl Cohen, PhD President, Science Management Associates
"I not only learned some very valuable skills, but I learned a lot about myself, as both a mentor and trainee."
LEADERSHIP SKILLS WORKSHOPS
COLLABORATIVE COMMUNICATION
27
In this one-day workshop facilitated by Mediation Works Inc. graduate students, postdocs and faculty explored themes of: influence without authority; creating buy-in for your ideas; asking for what you need; saying no in ways that do not damage relationships; responding to challenges, threats, outbursts, and other difficult behaviors; identifying and articulating your value; and preparing potentially difficult conversations
"I was blown away by how many skills i learned in the past two days and how these will help me IMMENSELY in navigating my professional relationships moving forward. this experience was in valuable and i am so grateful. "
PARTICIPANTS
21 PROGRAMS REPRESENTED
"This was a great experience and thanks to both the training team and group conversations, I came away with good strategies to deal with difficult workplace scenarios."
SPEAKING UP: BIAS AWARENESS & INTERVENTION IN THE REMOTE WORKPLACE During this interactive workshop facilitated by University of New Hampshire PowerPlay & Incluxion Works Inc. participants explored difficult dialogues about interpersonal behavior using a three part model: Observe. Interact. Replay. In this safe, dynamic, low‐risk setting participants were able to experiment with human behavior and test out interpersonal strategies.
"It was valuable to see the types of subtle transgressions that can occur all the time. It made me reflect on my own behavior and the role I play in anti-racism."
The actors were all splendid and I loved how we could try out different ways of speaking up through the actors.
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41 PARTICIPANTS
21 PROGRAMS REPRESENTED
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS
SALARY NEGOTIATION CRASH COURSE
19 PARTICIPANTS
13 PROGRAMS REPRESENTED
Participants learned and practiced strategies to optimize their next job offer during this interactive workshop. Students explored negotiation fundamentals, how to prepare for a job offer negotiation, thinking beyond the salary, and common salary negotiation pitfalls across various job sectors.
"The opportunity to ask specific questions in a small group was also very valuable. Thank you for offering this workshop! This is such a great resource for graduate students."
"I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the workshop was excellent! The most valuable part was the negotiation simulation in which partners practiced negotiating with one another. "
Facilitator: Kendall Park, PhD Assistant Professor of Organization Studies
NAVIGATING THE JOB SEARCH IN AN UNCERTAIN ECONOMY A panel of Graduate School alumni who navigated the job market after the 2008 Great Recession answered students questions about how to prepare for the job market during times of uncertainty as they navigate the current pandemic job market.
14 PARTICIPANTS
13 PROGRAMS REPRESENTED
Dr. Shelby Longard, Assoc. Prof.& Chair, Belmont University (Sociology '07)
Dr. Megan Casey, Dr. David Stuit, Partner, NASA Aerospace Engineer Basis Policy Research (Electrical Engineering, '09) (Leadership & Policy Studies '09) PAGE 14
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS
MONEY MONDAYS: PERSONAL FINANCE SERIES DEMYSTIFYING TAXES This seminar introduced graduate students to income classification and taxation.
32
PARTICIPANTS
13
PROGRAMS REPRESENTED
HACK YOUR BUDGET A practical workshop where graduate students explore budgets hacks to decrease spending in key areas, strategies to make their budgets more effective at this stage in their career, and setting financial goals. Attendee were also able to discuss crowdsourced data and strategies of their peers.
11
PARTICIPANTS
10
PROGRAMS REPRESENTED
SETTING YOURSELF UP FOR FINANCIAL SUCCESS In this seminar students discussed the concept of financial success, how to plan for career transitions, prioritizing budget plans, setting financial goals and living within their means.
12
PARTICIPANTS
10
PROGRAMS REPRESENTED
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Facilitator: Emily Roberts, PhD Personal Finance for PhDs
"Overall, I really appreciated this series and feel it gave me more control and confidence with my current and future finances."
"The Hack Your Budget workshop provided a more open space for us to share tips for saving, which is crucial as graduate students."
BASS MILITARY SCHOLARS
LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM THE U.S. MILITARY
Experience vs Authority Craig Kuphall (MBA ’21), Mandi Mizner (VUSN ’21), Hunter Parden (MBA ’22), and Joe Payne (MBA ’22)
Women in Leadership Roles Karen Parham (MNS '21), Mandi Mizner (MNS '21), and Alyssa Hartley (JD '22)
4 PANEL DISCUSSIONS
34 PARTICIPANTS
Leading Oneself Devin Adams (JD ‘22), Craig Kuphall (MBA ’21), Jake Epstein (JD ’23), and Tyler LaChance (MBA ’22)
Emotional Intelligence Amelia Herink (MNS '22), Aaron Jones (MSN ’22), and Caitlin Jones (MNS '22)
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20 PROGRAMS REPRESENTED
BEYOND VU: ALUMNI PERSPECTIVES
John Hindle, PhD Founding Partner, Knowledge Capital Partners English ’81
6 ALUMNI FEATURED
40 PARTICIPANTS
Cheri Hoffman, PhD Director of the Children and Youth Policy Division at the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Service Community Research & Action, ‘09
Dante Mossi, PhD Executive President of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration Economics ’96
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19 PROGRAMS REPRESENTED
"The speaker was amazing and very approachable. All content, questions and recommendations for grad students were unexpected. I am very happy I could attend to this event!"
BEYOND VU: ALUMNI PERSPECTIVES
"Though the guest was from a different discipline than mine, I still gained valuable information."
Maria Mendiburo, PhD Technical Program Manager, Microsoft. Leadership & Policy Studies, ‘10
Isi Ero-Tolliver, PhD
"This speaker was wonderful. She was honest and up front with her adversities. Her hustle and initiative was infectious." "I left this workshop inspired by her story of perseverance and ultimate success."
Interim Dean of the School of Science & Assoc. Professor of Biology Hampton University Interdisc. Studies: Biomedical Science & Science Education, ‘12
Bridget Hodder, MA Author, Farrar, Straus & Giroux Anthropology, ‘15
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STRENGTHS-BASED LEADERSHIP COACHING
Leadership & Professional Development Coaching for Graduate Students
The GLI is excited to be able to offer Strengthsbased leadership coaching, providing graduate students with the opportunity to tap in to, and explore, their natural talents using the CliftonStrengths® Assessment. During the fall semester, the Graduate Student Council Executive Board incorporated strengths into their onboarding process and in the spring the GLI launched strengths coaching for the broader Graduate School student population.
20 PARTICIPANTS
17 PROGRAMS REPRESENTED
ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS SUPPORTED
National Humanities Center Summer Residency: 4 students sponsored in partnership with the Robert Penn Warren Center National Humanities Center Winter Residency: 3 students sponsored in partnership with the Center for Teaching ATLComSciCon 2021
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gli@vanderbilt.edu