Concurrent Session 1: Leadership and Wellness

9:45 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

Track 1: Empowered Leadership: Advancing Women in Higher Education with a Wellness-Centered Approach

Presenters: Svetlana Nepocatych and Cara Lucia, Elon University

Description: In a fast-paced academic and professional environments, women leaders often face the challenge of advancing their careers while maintaining well-being. This interactive workshop (60-90 min) provides a holistic, wellness-centered approach to leadership development, equipping participants with practical strategies for self-advocacy, networking, and career advancement. Attendees will engage in guided reflection, structured exercises, and peer collaboration to build confidence in their leadership identity, set boundaries to prevent burnout, and strengthen their professional support networks. Key takeaways include developing a leadership vision aligned with personal values, mapping a sustainable leadership trajectory, and crafting an impactful leadership narrative. Through targeted activities, participants will explore resilience-building strategies, emotional intelligence in leadership, and the power of mentorship. They will also create actionable leadership goals, identify immediate next steps, and draft a personalized leadership statement to enhance their visibility for leadership roles. By the end of the session, attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of their leadership strengths, a roadmap for career progression, and practical tools to integrate well-being into their leadership journey. This workshop is ideal for women faculty, staff, and administrators looking to advance their careers with confidence while fostering a sustainable and impactful leadership approach.

Moderator: Dr. April Tallant, Senior Educational Developer, Coulter Faculty Commons, Western Carolina University

Track 2: Navigating Leadership and Wellness: The Experience of Black Mother Scholars 

Presenters: Tiffany Wiggins, North Carolina Central University 

Jemilia Davis, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Regina Gavin Williams, North Carolina Central University

Description: Black mother scholars face a unique set of challenges as they navigate their professional and personal lives. From systemic barriers to individual struggles, their journey is complex and often overlooked. This presentation will explore the theoretical grounding of Myers & Sweeney’s (2004) Indivisible Self (IS-Wel) model and Patricia Hill Collins' Black Feminist Thought (2009) to examine the experiences of Black mother scholars. Through a collaborative autoethnographic approach, we aim to provide voice and truth to the nuanced lives of three Black women at the intersection of faculty expectations, practitioner roles, and parenting demands—all while seeking holistic wellness, a sense of belonging, and opportunities for career growth and leadership. We will share our individual and collective experiences with the intent to inspire hope and create meaningful change, inviting other mother scholars to join us in reimagining an academic context where we can lead, be well, and belong.

Moderator: Dr. Nichole Lewis, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students, Elizabeth City State University

Track 3: The Emotional Labor in Educational Contexts: Identifying Challenges and Developing Solutions to Prevent Burnout

Presenter: Megan Smith, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Description: Emotional labor research is extensive and well established. Emotional labor was studied in educational contexts earlier on and research consistently confirms that the emotional labor and subsequent burnout is high among educators. Equally problematic is that women play a large role in education and carry a heavier load of teaching large classes on the non-tenure track progression preventing equity in the workplace and in workload balance. In educational settings, students are emotionally supported by educators in considerable ways. The burden of emotional labor has amplified due to rather recent social and cultural shifts. During the pandemic, higher education experienced changes in pedagogical delivery and educator-student relationships, creating a heavier emotional burden for educators and leading to earlier retirements to arguably prevent burnout. Insufficient institutional, departmental, or center support results in porous work-life boundaries that also contribute to burnout. This workshop encourages participants to identify the most consuming areas of emotional labor in their jobs while identifying and developing personalized strategies to cope with this challenge. The workshop provides space to create relevant and practical strategies that reduce or eliminate potential or already existing burnout. The workshop format will contain short lectures, individual work, and small group work. Attendees will provide knowledge on mental health problems and associated challenges that spill over into the educator-teacher relationship and/or classroom. Attendees will learn aspects and characteristics of emotional labor as it relates to the field of education. Attendees will advance the understanding of burnout and be inspired to brainstorm strategies to prevent burnout relevant to their own experiences. 

Moderator: Dr. Shauna Harris, Director, Carolina Women’s Center, UNC CHapel Hill

Concurrent Session 2: Purpose Driven Leadership

1:00 p.m. - 1:50 p.m.

Track 1: Old MacDonald Had a Department: Leadership Lessons Learned on the Farm

Presenter: Tracie Salinas, Appalachian State University

Description: “Farming is a profession of hope.” – Brett Brian. Being an effective leader often calls for us not only to exercise decision-making but to do so with a sense of calm and peace that we may not feel in a moment of challenge or complexity. Much like farming, leadership often requires optimism, resilience, and flexibility in the moments that we may be the least equipped to give it. In this talk, we will explore helpful notes on leadership, including how to cultivate calm, how to read and respond to others, and how to keep a sense of humor in challenging moments. The conversation will be prompted with amusing nuggets from my experiences growing up on the farm and applied to experiences in academic leadership. Participants will have opportunities to reflect on the conversation and set goals in their own skills development in leadership for a broad range of applications in academia.

Moderator: Ashley Batts Allen, Associate Dean, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Track 2: Purposeful Alignment in Higher Education Leadership: Guided by GRACE, Driven by Vision

Presenter: LaQuoia Johnson, Davidson Davie Community College

Description: This interactive workshop introduces the GRACE framework—Growth Mindset, Respect, Accountability, Courageous Conversations, and Equity—as a guide for purpose-driven leadership in higher education. Participants will learn how to align their roles with a deeper sense of purpose, build resilience to overcome challenges, and foster collaborative accountability to execute bold, inclusive visions. Together, we will explore practical strategies to lead with authenticity, equity, and impact, transforming obstacles into opportunities for positive change.

Moderator: Erica Still, Associate Dean for Faculty Recruitment, Diversity, and Inclusion, Wake Forest University

Track 3: The Lighthouse Effect: Illuminating the Path for Women Leading Well

Presenters: Charlotte Williams and Krista Kenney, Elon University

Description: Now more than ever, women leading in academic spaces are navigating turbulent terrain in their life, family, and work. Effective leadership is an interdependent process, and we do not set ourselves or those coming behind us up for success when we fly solo. There are existing networks, resources, and supports that can provide proven paths for leading well during tumultuous times. 

Join this interactive session to explore leading effectively while sustaining your personal well-being. Participants will unpack leadership lessons from several women authors (including the presenters) whose journeys can serve as a “lighthouse” and whose books on leadership illuminate the path for workplace wellness and mental well-being for women in leadership. 

The presenters will also share personal and professional moments of challenge and growth learned along the way in their journeys as a Black woman in leadership working in academic settings. Participants will leave this session with practical strategies that can serve as the start (or continuation) of a leadership action plan they can implement in their lives.

Moderator: Crystal Chambers, Professor of Educational Leadership, East Carolina University 

Concurrent Session 3: Mentorship and Career Development

3:00 p.m. - 3:50 p.m.

Track 1: Mid Career Vitality Starts Today

Presenter: Resa Chandler, Western Carolina University

Description: Mid-career faculty report the highest level of burnout and job dissatisfaction and may find themselves in the unfavorable "post-tenure slump." These faculty have overcome what seemed to be at times an insurmountable challenge of tenure and promotion. With this career defining focus in the past, mid-career faculty can find themselves aimless and without purpose. The mid-career experience can fall into a chasm of course delivery monotony, unfulfilling service, and limited inspiration which can lead to recidivism issues. Yet the mid-career faculty member is a wealth of talent which when mentored may evolve to become the next university leaders, experts in their field, and more. The journey to mid-career vitality begins with connecting with one's vision for their existence. From this point, connecting to mentors and sponsors is the fodder for bridging to that vision. In this workshop, participants will source the forward momentum of working in small groups to realize the source of their vitality and identify the bridges that are aligned with that vision.

Moderator: Dr. April Tallant, Senior Educational Developer, Coulter Faculty Commons, Western Carolina University

Track 2: Mentorship Matters: How to Build Meaningful Connections 

Presenter: Loury Floyd, Lenoir-Rhyne University

Description: Mentorship is a powerful tool for personal and professional growth, yet many women leaders face challenges in finding and cultivating these valuable relationships. In this session, attendees will explore the key elements of effective mentorship and how to build meaningful, reciprocal connections that foster success. Participants will learn strategies for both becoming a mentor and seeking out mentors who can help guide their leadership journey. Through real-life examples and interactive discussions, attendees will discover how to navigate the dynamics of mentorship relationships, how to offer support, and how to ask for guidance when needed. Attendees will also have the opportunity to collaborate in small groups to share personal experiences and reflect on their mentorship goals. Together, they will create actionable plans for developing and maintaining strong mentoring relationships within their careers. By the end of the session, attendees will walk away with practical tools for identifying potential mentors, building trust, and fostering meaningful, long-term mentorship relationships. These skills will empower women to advance their careers while inspiring others along the way, creating a lasting network of support and leadership.

Moderator: Dr. Vanessa Drew-Branch, Associate Professor of Human Service Studies, Elon University

Track 3: Leading from Within - Lessons Learned During Transition

Presenters: Jessica White and Ashley Leak Bryant, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Description: Often, women self-select out of positions because they lack confidence, feel inadequate, feel like imposters, or are not “ready” to lead. Leadership is more than a job title; it’s an attitude and a way of thinking and representing yourself. Today, women continue to break glass ceilings and push past barriers that prevent us from moving forward. With the global changes we’re all experiencing, it’s important to know how to lead from within…especially when periods of change and transition come. Embracing change, being vulnerable, and being willing to learn allows us to maintain a growth mindset that assists us in transforming what can be a challenge into an opportunity for growth and impact. This session focuses on the personal and professional journeys of two female faculty administrators who have navigated different transitions. Women transition between positions, professional and personal roles, and various life stages, which means we must learn to lead from deep within ourselves and our organizations to effect change. Attendees can expect to learn about the importance of self-awareness, adaptability, and continuous learning in leadership. They will leave with practical tools and inspiration to apply to their leadership journeys. This session plans to build a group of women leaders committed to inspiring others and creating change by sharing lessons learned and recommended practices.

Moderator: Dr. Nichole Lewis, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students, Elizabeth City State University