UO Leadership Academy

Leadership Academy
UO Leadership Academy

Submit your application for the 2025-26 cohort by January 24, 2025

The UO Leadership Academy is a participatory leadership development program for mid-level administrative and academic leaders at the UO. A diverse group of 30 participants, made up of mid- and senior-level changemakers, will be selected to participate in each year’s cohort through an application process. Questions about the UO Leadership Academy may be directed to leadershipacademy@uoregon.edu.

2024-25 Cohort   |   Past Graduates   |   Program Background   |   Curriculum & Objectives   |   About Us 

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"A leader is not necessarily a person who holds some formal position of leadership or who is perceived as a leader by others. Rather, a leader is one who is able to affect positive change for the betterment of others, the community, and society. All people, in other words, are potential leaders."
Higher Education Research Institute

 

Jennifer Espinola at UO Leadership Academy meeting

Our Values

The academy aligns with the university's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion—it is integral to our collective learning and our effectiveness as leaders. The academy serves the university’s broader mission by developing administrators and faculty who feel empowered to address complex challenges and work collaboratively to cultivate more equitable environments across (and beyond) campus. 

The program believes that the integration of diverse backgrounds, identity characteristics, beliefs, and experiences is valuable to enhancing group effectiveness and learning. It also operates under the assumption that mistakes and failures will occur along the way.  However, with a shared focus on learning, mutual development, and accountability we believe we can make progress in our change efforts.

Jennifer Espinola talks to academy student
UO Leadership Academy students talking
UO Leadership Academy student with microphone

Our Impact

The UO Leadership Academy is having an increasingly transformational impact across the University of Oregon community. Not only do participants come away with tools for enacting inclusive leadership in their own careers, they share what they’ve learned with their colleagues and act as models of good leadership for students too. Hear what Leadership Academy graduates are saying about their experience.

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brad garner
One of the coolest and most unexpected things I gained from the Leadership Academy was bonding with faculty and staff from across the entire UO campus,” he said. “Those connections and perspectives are invaluable to me.
Brad Garner, Professor of Dance in the School of Music and Dance
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Gene Rhee
I gained a better understanding and awareness of myself and my strengths,” Rhee said. “We talked a lot about your ‘personal why’ — your purpose — and the core values we have as individuals.
Gene Rhee, Executive Director of Mohr Career Services in the Lundquist College of Business
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mike urbancic
There aren’t as many moments as perhaps there should be for people to carefully think through what they want to accomplish and what their role should be. The core part of it was doing that introspective work – doing an inventory of some strengths and some weaknesses and to learn how to approach working in teams, where we can lean into our strengths and encourage others to do the same.
Mike Urbancic, Senior Instructor of Economics and President of United Academics of the University of Oregon
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mariko lin
I felt a little bit stuck in my career. I wanted an opportunity to learn concepts and hear experiences across campus to feel inspired and validated. For me there is something to be said for taking yourself out of your department for a full day and getting a fresh perspective, and taking a breather from the work to reflect on how you can improve things.
Mariko Lin, Senior Staff Psychologist, Assistant Director, and Education and Prevention Outreach Director in Counseling Services