Four University of Kentucky faculty members have been named to the Southeastern Conference Academic Leadership Development Program (SEC ALDP) during the 2017-18 academic year, which also marks the program's 10-year anniversary.

The SEC ALDP seeks to identify, prepare and advance academic leaders for roles within SEC institutions and beyond. It has three components: a university-level development program designed by each institution for its own participants (i.e., fellows); two SEC-wide workshops held on specified campuses for all program participants; and a competitive fellowship designed to provide administrative growth opportunities for former fellows.

This year’s first SEC-wide workshop is under way through Thursday at Louisiana State University and the second will be held Feb. 21-23, 2018, at Auburn University.   

The 2017-18 SEC Academic Leadership Development Program fellows from UK are:

• Cristina Alcalde, Marie Rich Endowed Professor in the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences;
• Sandra Bastin, chair of the Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment;
• Margaret Mohr-Schroeder, associate professor of STEM education and co-chair of the Secondary Undergraduate STEM Education Program in the College of Education; and
• Jeffery Talbert, professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science and director of the Institute for Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy in the UK College of Pharmacy.

“It is our strong belief that helping to prepare administrators for the next phase of their careers has the potential to impact all of higher education, both now and in the future,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey has said of the SEC ALDP. “Our universities make a significant investment in these individuals, and we are proud to work with them through this program.”

In total, more than 350 faculty and academic administrators have completed the SEC ALDP.

“The content of the program was wonderful and all of the sessions had pearls of wisdom,” said Kathryn Cardarelli, associate dean for academic and student affairs in the UK College of Public Health, about her experience as an SEC ALDP fellow. “I also enjoyed meeting the participants and learning more about the diversity of positions at the other SEC universities.”

A full list of the 2017-18 SEC ALDP fellows can be found on the SECU website.