An MTSU professor spent her summer in the beautiful Rocky Mountains, and the glorious scenery wasn’t the only benefit.

Dr. Leah Tolbert Lyons, an associate professor of French, was one of only 67 women from the United States and Canada to complete the intensive residential leadership development program hosted by the Higher Education Resource Services Institute at the University of Denver June 19-July 1.

Dr. Leah Tolbert Lyons

“Through the HERS Institute, I engaged in rigorous training that delved into every aspect of higher education,” said Lyons.

“Learning from a faculty that is unparalleled with a cohort of dynamic women leaders from colleges and universities across the country was both enriching and fulfilling.”

Session topics covered at the institute include reframing organizational cultures, fundraising and philanthropy, communications and negotiation, and managing and leading change.

The HERS Institute has prepared women faculty, staff and administrators for roles in higher education for more than 40 years at the University of Denver; Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania; and Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Lyons, director of the Master of Arts degree program at MTSU, has been with the university for 16 years. Her participation in the HERS Institute was sponsored by the Office of the University Provost, the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance and the College of Liberal Arts.

“I look ahead to my work at MTSU with renewed energy and vitality as I have the opportunity to serve through leadership,” said Lyons.

For information on the Higher Education Resource Services Institute, visit its website at https://hersnet.org.

— Gina Logue (gina.logue@mtsu.edu)