Academic Leadership and Management Institute

The Illinois Academic Leadership and Management Institute (ALMI) is a small, interactive academic leadership program for any junior faculty member who is building a research group in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences or the Grainger College of Engineering. Course content is delivered by experts from inside and outside of Illinois using individual and group exercises, lectures, case studies, and discussions. 

Young faculty members point to a piece of paperObjectives

  • Equipping junior faculty with the tools they will need for successful careers at Illinois
  • Enhancing the ability of junior faculty to provide strong research group experiences for undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral scholars
  • Building a network among early-career investigators to support each other as peer mentors
  • Sharing tools to integrate DEI into research according to the UIUC Provost Communication 9 guidelines

Benefits

  • Access to academic leadership experts, including resources and tools
  • Participation in a peer network
  • Activities can count toward new DEI requirements for Provost Communication 9
  • Certificate of completion at the end of the program
  • Completion award stipend at the end of the program to support your research

The program exceeded my expectations. I found the exercises thought-provoking and valued the opportunity to interact with peers in different departments, who all brought very different perspectives.

It was a great opportunity to meet other assistant professors in different programs and discuss our common struggles, challenges, and potential solutions. The advice offered on how to deal with situations, what we might encounter, and how to prioritize our time was insightful.

I felt like the program was very useful for thinking big-picture about how I want to approach this phase of my career, finding resources online and on campus, and getting to know the cohort.

Application

Interested applicants should discuss their potential participation with their department chair/head, institute, or center director with the understanding that this time commitment is significant for a junior investigator since, if accepted, the participants must attend the entire course. Participants in the course will be selected in a competitive review process; 10-15 applicants will be accepted each year.

Please have the following ready to upload before you begin filling out the application:

  • 200-400 word personal statement describing why you should be selected for this leadership development program
  • A current CV

Applications are currently open for the Spring 2024 cohort.
 


Course content and dates

Workshops will be held approximately every three weeks in the spring semester on Tuesdays, 12-2 p.m. Lunch will be provided.

2022-2023 cohort

Hence

Deanna A. Hence
Assistant professor in atmospheric sciences

K. Decker French

K. Decker French
Assistant professor in astronomy

Avital Livny

Avital Livny
Assistant Professor in Political Science

Matthew Brooks

Matthew Brooks
Assistant professor in plant biology

Nick Jackson 

Nick Jackson 
Assistant professor in chemistry

Jared Hotaling 

Jared Hotaling 
Assistant professor in psychology

Zhiyu (Frank) Quan

Zhiyu (Frank) Quan
Assistant professor in mathematics

Eva Fischer

Eva Fischer
Assistant professor in evolution, ecology, and behavior

Mohammed Kamruzzaman

Mohammed Kamruzzaman
Assistant professor in agricultural and biological engineering

Xinzhu Yu

Xinzhu Yu
Assistant professor in molecular and integrative physiology

Gautham Narayan

Gautham Narayan
Assistant professor in astronomy

Salah Issa

Salah Issa
Assistant professor in agricultural and biological engineering

Aleksander Ksiazkiewicz

Aleksander Ksiazkiewicz
Associate professor in political science

   

Questions?

To learn more about ALMI, contact:

Margaret Browne Huntt
Assistant Dean for Inclusive Excellence

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Ellen Wang Althaus
Associate Director for Faculty and Staff Engagement
IDEA Institute Grainger College of Engineering Administration