ELA class lends expertise to campus initiatives

The 2025-026 edition of Iowa State's Emerging Leaders Academy (ELA) is off and running.

The 31-member cohort met for the first time Aug. 29 and will meet monthly through May. Sessions focus on leadership theory and practice, communication, budgeting and resource management, performance management and ethical leadership. In teams, cohort members also work on capstone projects that align with Iowa State's 2022-31 Strategic Plan and respond to a need on campus. The projects and their liaisons are:

• Alumni Tracking and Engagement Enhancement. Develop best practices and common tools that can be adopted across the university. Liaison: Judi Eyles, CyBiz Lab and Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship.
• Cap and Gown Legacy. Develop a formal program for collecting, cataloging and redistributing academic regalia. Liaison: Robert Lipsey, First Scholar Programs.
• First-Generation Students Celebration. Develop a meaningful and sustainable recognition event for first-generation students. Liaison: Robert Lipsey, First Scholar Programs.
• Innovation IN Iowa State. Explore how different units define and apply innovation in their work. Liaisons: Judi Eyles, CyBiz Lab and Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship; and Jim Oliver, University Professor and Pithan Executive Director of Innovation.

"As a new leader, there are things you know, and other things that are new," said ELA faculty director Brad Dell, professor and chair of the music and theatre department. "The goal of the Emerging Leaders Academy is to fill the gaps in their leadership 'toolboxes' so they can do the best job they can for both their team and the university."

Cohort membership

Members of the 2025-26 ELA cohort are:

• Megan Anderson, Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center
• Amelia Cepeda, residence department
• Tony Dirth, recreation services/student health and wellness
• Angela Ethlon, fringe benefit accounting and compliance
• Tara Fisher, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences student services
• Ulrike Genschel, statistics
• RaeAnn Gordon, ISU Extension and Outreach county services
• Tammy Hansen, accounts receivable
• Kathleen Houseman, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences student recruitment
• Patrick Johnson, materials science and engineering
• Dawn Kepley, university human resources
• Cassandra Knutson, human development and family studies
• Claire Kruesel, Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
• Buddhi Lamsal, food science and human nutrition
• Emily Linroth, U.S. Department of Energy's Ames National Laboratory
• Tiffany Lownes, ISU Foundation
• Jarael Madyun, College of Design student services
• Bradley Miller, agronomy
• Meg Musser, veterinary clinical services
• Jarad Niemi, statistics
• Maggie Norton, Bioeconomy Institute
• Danielle Orris, Student Innovation Center
• Christine Reinders-Caron, Ames National Laboratory and Professional and Scientific Council president-elect
• Alex Rogers, provost's office
• Jane Rongerude, urban planning and development
• Kristen Sievert, student counseling services
• Rajeswari Sivasubramanian, information technology services
• Catherine Swoboda, horticulture
• Doug Wieczorek, School of Education
• Erin Wilgenbusch, Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication
• Aaron Wood, earth, atmosphere and climate