UW Faculty Fellows Selected for Academic Year

Seven University of Wyoming employees are participating in the Academic Affairs Faculty Fellows Program during the 2021-22 academic year.

The program complements UW’s strategic goal and commitment to develop and mentor effective leadership by providing intense and focused experiences in leadership and administrative roles at the senior levels of the institution.

UW Academic Affairs Faculty Fellows are Nevin Aiken, an associate professor in the School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies; Saman Aryana, the Occidental Chair in Energy and Environmental Technologies and an associate professor in the College of Engineering and Applied Science; Michelle Hilaire, a clinical professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice in the School of Pharmacy, and an associate dean in the College of Health Sciences; Paddington Hodza, a senior research scientist at the Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center; Jonathan Prather, director of the Life Sciences Program and a professor in the Department of Zoology and Physiology and Program in Neuroscience; Rachel Sailor, an associate professor of art history in the Department of Visual Arts; and Qin Zhu, a professor and international program coordinator in the Division of Kinesiology and Health.

The seven Academic Affairs Faculty Fellows and their project descriptions can be found here.

“I am pleased that these impressive scholars have taken the initiative to apply their energy and creative ideas to move UW forward in many dimensions. I look forward to working with them in the coming year,” says Provost and Executive Vice President Kevin Carman.

Fellows will work with the provost and executive team, and other administrative and faculty leaders across the university. The seven individual projects will advance the university’s institutional goals in faculty excellence, academic policy, institutional data, online education and student success.

As part of the program, fellows will become familiar with university-wide academic initiatives; strategic planning; budget issues; and challenges in higher education. Additionally, fellows will make direct contributions to the UW Provost’s Office by taking on special projects and assisting in day-to-day routine activities.

The program’s goals aim to provide exceptional faculty members with a more expansive range of leadership experiences at the university level. The goals are:

-- Cultivate and reinforce a culture of transformative academic leadership that supports organizational success by leading and managing change.

-- Develop a collaborative network of faculty committed to excellence in education and the continuous improvement of the faculty and student experience.

-- Retain high-performing faculty and prepare promising faculty leaders for future leadership roles.

-- Provide ongoing faculty involvement in and contributions to the UW Office of Academic Affairs.

-- Stimulate university conversations and act as a conduit for communication with the Office of Academic Affairs.