Janelle M. Chiasera, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences in the School of Health Professions at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has been selected as one of 47 emerging college and university leaders for the 2015-16 class of the American Council on Education. Established in 1965, the ACE Fellows Program — the longest running leadership-development program in the United States — focuses on identifying and preparing the next generation of senior leadership for the nation's colleges and universities.
Chiasera joined UAB in 2006 as program director for the Clinical Laboratory Science Program. She is a member of the American Association of Clinical Chemistry and the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science.
The ACE Fellows Program is celebrating its 50th anniversary this academic year. During the past five decades, nearly 2,000 higher education leaders have participated in the fellows Program, with more than 300 fellows having served as chief executive officers of colleges or universities and more than 1,300 having served as provosts, vice presidents and deans.
“We’re extremely proud of Dr. Chiasera and gratified that one of our rising faculty stars has been recognized by ACE for this honor,” said UAB Provost Linda Lucas, Ph.D. “"The intensive experience of the ACE Fellows Program will help Dr. Chiasera and the other fellows strengthen their leadership skills, expand their networks and prepare to successfully confront the many challenges facing higher education today.”
The program combines retreats, interactive learning opportunities, visits to campuses and other higher education-related organizations and placement at another higher education institution to condense years of on-the-job experience and skills development into a single year.
During the placement, fellows observe and work with the president and other senior officers at their host institution, attend decision-making meetings and focus on issues of interest. Fellows also conduct projects of pressing concern for their home institution and seek to implement their findings upon completion of the fellowship year. Projects have included developing an internationalization process, designing a post-tenure review policy, creating a teaching-learning center and crafting an initiative to support the academic success of first-generation college students.
At the conclusion of the fellowship year, fellows return to their home institution with new knowledge and skills that contribute to capacity-building efforts