Dr. Robert Stephan, Associate Professor of Practice in the Department of Religious Studies and Classics, has been selected as one of 20 UA employees to join the 2022-23 Academic Leadership Institute.
Stephan, who is also director of undergraduate studies for Classics, teaches popular gen-ed courses in classical mythology and the worlds of ancient Greece and Rome. Stephan said he is hoping to learn how he can increase his impact from the classroom level to the university level.
“I think I'm reaching a ceiling in terms of the number of students I can teach in the classroom,” Stephan said. “So, becoming a University leader felt like a wonderful way to continue to grow my impact on both students and the University at large.”
The Academic Leadership Institute is a partnership between the Office of the Provost and the Division of Human Resources, created to strengthen cross-campus collaboration and build up the University's repertoire of leaders. The cohort is selected through a competitive application process, which looks at leadership potential, commitment to diversity and inclusion, and interest in enhancing the whole of the University community.
With the close-knit community building and networking opportunities the program provides, graduates become more connected to the University and are more aware of the happenings in other areas besides their own. Since its inception, ALI has graduated 292 fellows over 14 cohorts. Of those fellows, 91 percent have stayed at the University, and 86 percent have received a promotion.
See the full list of this year’s Academic Leadership Institute Fellows here.