Congratulations to the 20 faculty and staff leaders seeking to grow and contribute more to UAB who became the 15th graduating class of the Blaze Leadership Academy in April. The leadership-development program combines team projects, case studies, skill-building, expert speakers and panels, peer-to-peer consultation, and networking opportunities.
Speaking at a capstone presentation April 21, members of the class shared their leadership lessons learned. “We’ve discussed throughout this impactful program that effective leadership is reflected in several ways — good communication, inclusion, authentically listening,” said Jereme Logan, J.D., associate risk and compliance officer for UAB Financial Affairs. But the most resonant trait for himself, Logan said, “is being able to set aside self-interest. At its core, it is a reflection of trust in your group, which invites trust in return.”
The class also shared highlights from their action learning group projects, including recommendations designed to enhance employee retention and engagement, address employee questions, and reduce stress and conflict in grievance processes. “The growth mindset was infused throughout the experience,” said Anne Brisendine, DrPH, assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Organization in the School of Public Health. “This process involved growing each other in our team roles through coaching and reflection, gaining a better understanding of communication dynamics both among ourselves and across UAB, recognizing the importance of good stewardship of university resources, [and] realizing the potential for our project to mitigate conflicts and address inefficiencies.”
“I am honored to be able to support UAB leaders in the development of new mindsets and skills to bring out the best in our faculty and staff,” said Susan Coan, executive director of Learning and Development. “It is an amazing experience to watch the group connect, learn and grow over the course of the Blaze Leadership Academy.”
2023-2024 class nominations open in June
Nominations for the 2023-2024 Blaze Leadership Academy class will open in June. The program is designed for faculty and staff who have been at UAB for at least two years and who manage a department, team or major program. Candidates are nominated by their senior leader (deans in schools, vice presidents in administrative units). Learn more about the nomination process, selection criteria and the time commitment involved.
Blaze Leadership Academy 2022-2023 cohort
Anne Brisendine, DrPH
Assistant Professor and Science Director, Applied Evaluation and Assessment Collaborative
School of Public Health
Megan Carpenter, OTD
Assistant Professor and Doctoral Capstone Coordinator, Department of Occupational Therapy
School of Health Professions
Meredith Gartin, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Global Health
School of Public Health
Tiffany Grimes, R.N.
Administrative Director, Department of Medicine
Heersink School of Medicine
Christopher Henrich, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, Department of Psychology
College of Arts and Sciences
Mack Ingram
Director of Engagement, Alumni Affairs
UAB Advancement
Matthew Jennings
Director of Instructional Technology
School of Nursing
Leon Jololian, Ph.D.
Professor and Interim Chair, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
School of Engineering
Rebecca Kennedy, Ph.D.
Assistant Vice President for Student Health and Wellbeing
UAB Student Affairs
Ejvis Lamani, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor and Director of Research
School of Dentistry
Jereme Logan, J.D.
Associate Risk and Compliance Officer
UAB Financial Affairs
Christy Manning
Administrative Director of Graduate Programs
Collat School of Business
Chris McCauley
Director of Communications
College of Arts and Sciences
Scott Phillips, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Innovative Teaching
Office of the Provost
Lisa Pritchett
Senior Director of Development
UAB Advancement
Lesley Sheek, Ed.D.
Assistant Professor and Assistant Dean for Accreditation and Assessment
School of Education
Jessica Thomas
Financial Manager, Department of Medicine
Heersink School of Medicine
Ernest Williams
Financial Officer III, Department of Neurosurgery
Heersink School of Medicine
Libby Worthington
Business Systems Architect
Graduate School
Chengcui (Tracy) Zhang, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Computer Science
College of Arts and Sciences
