The Academic Leadership Academy (ALA) is an initiative launched in 2024 to cultivate and strengthen academic leadership on the UA Little Rock campus. Supported by the Office of the Provost, the ALA offers a cohort-based program designed to prepare new academic administrators and faculty members interested in leadership roles by offering skill-building workshops, retreats, and peer engagement opportunities. Dr. Shannon Collier-Tenison, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Dr. Tusty ten Bensel, Associate Dean for CBHHS, and Dr. Laura Danforth, Director of the School of Social Work are the founders and co-facilitators of the academy.
The Academic Leadership Academy is pleased to welcome Cohort 2 for the 2025-2026 academic year. Cohort 2 includes faculty nominated by their respective college deans and who represent a broad set of academic rank and experiences. Members of Cohort 2 will participate in workshops ranging from leadership identity to conflict management and will received a variety of resources from seasoned leaders and administrators across the upcoming year.
Participants for this cohort are:
- Anastasia Boles, J.D., Bowen School of Law
- Anne Turner, Ph.D., Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
- Ashokkumar Sharma, Ph.D., Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
- Christopher Burks, Ph.D., College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education
- Jana McAuliffe, Ph.D., College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education
- Joanna Hall, MNSc, R.N., College of Business, Health, and Human Services
- Kelly Browe Olson, J.D., Bowen School of Law
- Mackenzie Lee, Ph.D., College of Business, Health, and Human Services
- Mark Baillie, Ph.D., Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
- Michael Flannery, J.D., Bowen School of Law
- Rick Lewis, Ph.D., College of Business, Health, and Human Services
- Stephanie Davis, Ph.D., College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education
We also want to recognize the inaugural cohort of the ALA (2024-25), which included nine academic administrators from across the university. They are:
- Dr. Annie Childers, Interim Associate Dean of the Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (and now Chairperson of the Dept of Mathematics and Statistics)
- Dr. Joli Livaudais, Director of the School of Art and Design
- Dr. Katie King, Interim Co-Director of the School of Human Inquiry
- Dr. Lindsey Gustafson, Associate Dean for Academic Support at the William H. Bowen School of Law
- Dr. Matthew Matusiak, Associate Dean of the College of Business, Health, and Human Service
- Dr. Michael Cavanaugh, Director of the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology
- Dr. Neveen Amin, Interim Co-Director of the School of Human Inquiry
- Dr. Qingfang He, Chairperson of the Department of Biology
- Dr. Yue Zhao, Chair of the Department of Management, Marketing, and Technology
