Apply by Aug. 31 for new professional development series

Applications are due Aug. 31 for Iowa State's inaugural Professional Excellence Program, a series of interactive, in-person workshops. This professional development opportunity is designed for faculty, staff and post-doctoral professionals at all career stages who want to enhance their professional growth and leadership skills, particularly those interested in:

• Breaking down silos between administrative and academic units
• Developing professional networks among departments

First-year funding for this pilot comes from the Strategic Initiatives Fund in the president's office. There is no cost to cohort members.

Facilitators are faculty in the Carrie Chapman Catt Center, associate director for communication and outreach Carrie Ann Johnson and director Karen Kedrowski. Johnson will lead the workshops and introduce Iowa State and off-campus presenters.

"This program is for anyone who's interested in making their career the best it can be. In a nurturing environment, we'll give them lots of tools and information for how to do that," Johnson said.

She said a planning team looked at similar universities and the types of professional development programs they offered internally, and blended that with Iowa State's commitment to innovation and continued learning.

Topics for growth

The program is cohort-based and consists of five workshops plus a final networking session, starting in October and finishing in April 2026 (no January session). The first cohort will be 25-30 participants, and the 90-minute workshops will meet Thursdays at midday (11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.) on this schedule:

• Oct. 9, Your professional identity: Strengths, values and growth
• Nov. 6, Strategic communication and influence
• Dec. 4, Breaking silos: Workplace innovation and effectiveness
• Feb. 12, 2026, Vision, mentorship and institutional influence
• March 12, Beyond the paycheck: Building financial confidence and clarity
• April 9, Celebration of community

Each workshop will include presentations by experts; interactive components such as case studies, role-play exercises or skill-building activities; discussions and problem-solving exercises in small groups; self-assessment and career mapping; digital materials and Iowa State-customized GPTs Johnson wrote for topics such as career values.

Participants will:

• Develop professional skills specific to higher education
• Expand their understanding of university governance and advancement pathways
• Create cross-departmental connections and collaborations
• Learn strategies for thriving in both personal and career goals

Johnson said participants will receive a workbook and a variety of tools that participants "can do as much with it as they want, outside of the workshops."

Timeline

Following the Aug. 31 application deadline, participants will be notified by Sept. 15 and a public announcement of the first cohort will be shared by Sept. 26.