Category: Institute for Leadership Impact

SMU Institute for Leadership Impact Welcomes 2022-2023 District Leadership Fellows 

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32 school district leaders have been welcomed into the 2022-2023 cohort of District Leadership Fellows, a hybrid in-person and online leadership training program for school district superintendents and executive district leaders run by the Institute for Leadership Impact at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.   

Montage of headshots

The 2022-2023 cohort, the largest since the program was founded in 2016, includes leaders from school districts in Arkansas and across Texas.  It includes Superintendents and Assistant Superintendents, along with Executive Directors and other district leaders.  School districts of many different sizes are represented, from rural schools with less than two hundred students, to urban districts with over sixty thousand students.    

Of the program, 2021-2022 participant Dr. Angela Herron, Chief Teaching & Learning Officer, Grand Prairie ISD, said “SMU’s District Leadership Fellows program is a wonderful program that enhanced my ability to lead with a more laser focus on my desired goals for my district. Through complex, relevant, and engaging activities, the program equipped me with the tools to have a more strategic approach to problem-solving, which allowed me to lead more efficiently and systematically.  I appreciate my time in the program and found each session beneficial to increasing outcomes for my district.” 

The District Leadership Fellows program is a strengths-based leadership development program that enhances the leadership abilities of established and emerging school district leaders through an intensive year-long cohort. Through collaboration with peers and recognized education experts, Fellows are empowered to solve hard problems in their districts, build their leadership skills, and develop lasting educational leadership networks. The program is hosted by the Institute for Leadership Impact in the Simmons School of Education & Human Development at SMU in Dallas, Texas. 

 Who’s in the 2022-2023 cohort?  

School leaders in the upcoming cohort of the District Leadership Fellows program include Dr. Dana Arreola (Executive Director of Leadership Development, Aldine ISD), Dr. Stephanie Bonneau (Principal, Mansfield ISD), Dr. Keena Bradley (Executive Director of Employee Services and Experience, Aldine ISD), Mrs. Onjaleke Brown (Superintendent, St. Anthony Academy), Mr. Brett Bunch (Superintendent, Brookland Public Schools), Mrs. Shenikwa Cager (Executive Director of Teaching and Learning, A W Brown Leadership Academy), Dr. Sedric Clark (Superintendent, Gladewater ISD), Dr. Michelle Cline (Superintendent, Throckmorton Collegiate ISD), Dr. Kristin Craft (Associate Superintendent, Spring Branch ISD), Dr. Denver Crum (Superintendent, Springlake-Earth ISD), Dr. Carnelius Gilder (Superintendent, West Sabine ISD), Dr. Winnifred Goodman (Chief of Schools, Duncanville ISD), Mr. Tellauance Graham (Assistant Superintendent, Cedar Hill ISD), Mr. Ron Holmgreen (Superintendent, Brock ISD), Dr. Brad Hunt (Superintendent, Coppell ISD), Mrs. Gaya Jefferson (Executive Director of Professional Learning, Richardson ISD), Mr. George Kennedy (Assistant Superintendent, Brookland Public Schools), Dr. Tonya Knowlton (Superintendent, Community ISD), Mrs. Jaema Krier (Director of Administration, UT Tyler University Academy), Dr. Donny Lee (Superintendent, Wichita Falls ISD), Dr. Sandra Moore (Executive Director Human Resources, Richardson ISD), Ms. Karalei Nunn (Founder & COO, Meridian World School), Dr. Jeremy Owoh (Superintendent, Jacksonville North Pulaski School District), Dr. Veronica Perkins (Superintendent, Blytheville School District), Dr. Brenda Poole (Superintendent, Brinkley Public Schools), Dr. Mike Rockwood (Superintendent, Lake Dallas ISD), Dr. Darwin Spiller (Executive Director of Title IX Compliance & Investigations, Richardson ISD), Mr. Jeremy Strickland (Superintendent, Trenton ISD), Dr. Bryan Taulton (Superintendent of Schools, Coldspring-Oakhurst CISD), Ms. Cindy Trevino (Chief of Human Resources and Student Services, Edgewood ISD), Mrs. Amanda Wallace (Assistant Superintendent of Personnel & Policy, Henderson ISD), and Mrs. Taylor Williams (Superintendent, Slidell ISD).  Mr. Bunch, and Drs. Cline and Poole are returning Fellows.   

  To learn more about Institute for Leadership Impact programs, visit our website, email us at leadershipimpact@smu.edu, and engage with us on Twitter.  

District Leadership Fellows Collaborate on Logic Models, Motivational Interviewing

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“Once we have our ‘why,’ why we do what we do, that’ll help us stay focused on our goal.” – Dr. James Randle

District Leader Dr. Janet Gladu and colleagues discuss their Impact Models in a breakout session. Dylan de Muth from the Institute provides assistance.
District Leader Dr. Janet Gladu and colleagues discuss their Impact Models in a breakout session. Dylan de Muth from the Institute provides assistance.

One month into their fellowship at the Institute for Leadership Impact, a cohort of school leaders from four U.S. states are developing Impact Models to tackle a challenge in their districts. On October 9th, the cohort came together on Zoom to discuss the components of their models and improve their coaching skills. Program facilitator Dr. James Randle led the meeting. 

In breakout sessions, triads of Fellows took turns interviewing each other about their models using the OARS (Open-ended questions, Affirmations, Reflections, Summarizing) approach used by coaches who practice motivational interviewing. The breakout sessions offered Fellows an opportunity to discover ways they could improve their model drafts and to provide and receive feedback on their coaching skills.  Institute team members Khris Beeson, Megan Brown, Kaitlyn Contreras-Castro, Dylan De Muth, and Price Morgan assisted in the breakout sessions.  

About the District Leadership Fellows program 

Since 2016, the SMU District Leadership Fellows program has brought school leaders together in year-long cohorts to build their leadership skills and collaborate on district improvement projects. Initially focused on school leaders from rural Texas, the program went online and expanded to Arkansas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma for the 2020-2021 cohort year. 

To learn more about our programs, visit our website, email us at leadershipimpact@smu.edu, and engage with us on Twitter.

The Institute’s 2019-2020 Media Highlights

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During the 2019-2020 academic year and the following summer, SMU Institute for Leadership Impact projects, researchers, and students were featured many times in local and national media reporting.

Though it was punctuated by a pandemic that pushed the Institute for Leadership Impact to reorient much of its programming, the 2019-2020 academic year and the following summer offered the Institute’s projects, researchers, and students many opportunities for media exposure, particularly in the area of health leadership development research. Highlights included…

Leading on COVID-19

With the rise of COVID-19, Institute Director Eric G. Bing – a trained physician and epidemiologist – was called upon to participate in several media interviews about the spread of the virus and about mitigation strategies. Over the spring, Bing made several national appearances on CBS News, in which he recommended wearing face coverings and ramping up testing. He was later interviewed by the Dallas Observer for articles on the importance of face coverings and taking a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available.

Additional information and guidance on COVID-19 is available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

Innovating for Medical Leadership Development

As the Institute’s research in virtual reality surgery simulation expanded, many local and regional publications took interest in the project. Before the end of 2019, publications including D Magazine, KERA News, WFAA ABC 8, Park Cities People, and The Dallas Morning News had published stories that focused on or mentioned the Institute’s virtual reality work. Project team members anticipate continued media attention as the project enters a new phase focused on postpartum hemorrhage treatment.

Training Future Public Health Leaders

When COVID-19 forced SMU to make classes virtual in March, Bing restructured his Creating Impact in Global & Public Health course to use the developing pandemic as a real-time example. The course traditionally culminates in the Battle to Save Lives case competition, which was reoriented to focus on mitigating the spread of COVID-19 on college campuses. Two student teams from the class applied for RevTech Ventures grants to implement their solutions, and NTX Inno reported that both teams won grants.

Selected Student and Alumni Spotlights

Khris Beeson ‘20, who took Creating Impact in Global & Public Health in 2020 and became a Global Health Intern at the Center for Global Health Impact after graduating, was featured in a July 2020 Dallas Morning News piece about her collaboration with Bing.

Kaitlyn Contreras-Castro ‘20, who has served as a research assistant at the Institute since 2018 and has taken Creating Impact in Global & Public Health, was featured by SMU in Fall 2019.

Dominique Earland ‘17, who took Creating Impact in Global & Public Health during her time at SMU, is now pursuing a medical degree at the University of Minnesota. In March 2020, Earland was interviewed by Phi Beta Kappa about her path to medical school.

To learn more about our programs, visit our website, email us at leadershipimpact@smu.edu, and engage with us on Twitter.

2020-2021 District Leadership Fellows Cohort Convenes

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Twenty-one district leaders from Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Arkansas have kicked off the 2020-2021 District Leadership Fellows cohort with an online meeting.

The SMU District Leadership Fellows program is continuing to grow to serve education leaders.  This year we welcome leaders from all regions of Texas, and from the surrounding states.  Along with superintendents, we are also very happy to welcome executive district leaders who report directly to superintendents.  We are excited to be working with, and learning from, the 2020-2021 cohort.

As each school district has changed and adapted to life with Covid-19, so too has the District Leadership Fellows program.  We were very excited to engage online with the new cohort, and to utilize all the tools at our disposal to ensure the cohort develop additional leadership competencies, as well as participate in the key cohort component of networking with a diverse group of peers.

The 2020-2021 Fellows include Mr. Henry Anderson (Marvell-Elaine School District), Dr. David Belding (Aubrey ISD), Mr. Ritchie Bowling (Maypearl ISD), Ms. Khechara Bradford (Spring ISD), Mr. Brett Bunch (Newport Special School District), Dr. Janet Gladu (San Jon Municipal Schools), Dr. Gerald Hudson (Cedar Hill ISD), Ms. Malinda Lindsey (Kennard ISD), Mr. Greg London (Bryson ISD), Dr. Brian Nichols (Canton ISD), Dr. Deidre Parish (Darrouzett ISD), Mr. Albert Peña (San Perlita ISD), Ms. Sherry Phillips (Danbury ISD), Mrs. Amanda Rather (Lonoke Public School District), Mr. Steve Reynolds (Adrian ISD), Dr. Paula Richardson (Tekoa Charter School Inc.), Mr. Justin Risner (Central ISD), Mr. James Sanders (Scurry-Rosser ISD), Mr. David Sullivan (Anadarko Public Schools), Dr. John Tackett (Lonoke Public School District) and Mr. James Wright II (Mount Calm ISD).

To learn more about our programs, visit our website, email us at leadershipimpact@smu.edu, and engage with us on Twitter.

Experts: Face Coverings Key to Combating Pandemic in Dallas

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As transmission of SARS-CoV-2 continues in the Dallas region, experts say that face coverings worn over the nose and mouth are an essential tool for keeping the virus at bay. 

Face mask

Several months into the coronavirus pandemic, local public health experts continue to emphasize that Dallasites can help save lives by wearing a face covering in public areas. In an interview with the Dallas Observer, SMU Center for Global Health Impact Director Dr. Eric G. Bing joined three other North Texas physicians in encouraging people to wear face coverings. Bing acknowledged that wearing a face covering may feel awkward, but emphasized that it is a small sacrifice to protect the Dallas community.  

Southern Methodist University has also emphasized the importance of face coverings as part of their Mustang Strong campus health strategy. At SMU, face coverings are required in all public indoor spaces and in other situations when six feet of social distancing is not possible. This strategy was designed to be consistent with the latest public health guidance from Dallas County, which mandates face coverings for county employees and most members of the general public when they are in public spaces or workplaces that preclude six feet of social distancing from others.  

Additional information and guidance on COVID-19 is available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website. 

Create Impact in Your Organization
The Institute for Leadership Impact serves schools and social impact organizations of all sizes.  We offer an array of experiential, individual, and team-based leadership experiences and simulations to strengthen your team and support your growth as a leader.

To learn more about our programs, visit our website, email us at leadershipimpact@smu.edu, and engage with us on Twitter.

 

Institute for Leadership Impact and Center for Global Health Impact Release Joint 2019-2020 Report

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The Institute for Leadership Impact and the Center for Global Health Impact, both headquartered at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, have released a joint impact report for the 2019-2020 academic year.

The report focuses on how the two programs are helping to build better leaders in health, education, and other fields. Topics covered in the report include:

  • Ongoing virtual reality surgical simulation research
  • Ongoing meditation research
  • Global & public health training at SMU
  • The Battle to Save Lives public health case competition
  • Consulting on COVID-19 mitigation
  • The District Leadership Fellows program
  • Local and national media appearances
  • Future projects and growth prospects

Read the new report here and read the previous reports of the the Institute here, and Center here.

Create Impact in Your Organization
The Institute for Leadership Impact serves schools and social impact organizations of all sizes.  We offer an array of experiential, individual, and team-based leadership experiences and simulations to strengthen your team and support your growth as a leader.

To learn more about our programs, visit our website, email us at leadershipimpact@smu.edu, and engage with us on Twitter.

SMU Epidemiologist Discusses Challenges for Reopening on CBS

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[The coronavirus] doesn’t care about politics. It only understands its biology. If we don’t begin to think like the virus, people will die.

 

In interviews that aired nationally on April 29 and May 7, and May 28 Dr. Eric G. Bing spoke with CBS News correspondent Omar Villafranca about Texas’ response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and about public health challenges faced by reopening communities across the United States.

Bing, a physician and epidemiologist who teaches public health at Southern Methodist University, observed in his April 29 interview on CBS This Morning that “it’s important to have more tests so we know the rate of infection, so we have a good baseline. Without that baseline, we’re kind of shooting in the dark.” Noting that Texas’ rates of testing at the time of the interview were too low for public health experts to have a good idea of how many people in the state were infected, Bing cautioned that Texas leaders need to begin thinking more about the way the virus spreads if they hope to minimize COVID-19 deaths.

In his second CBS This Morning interview on May 7, Bing pointed out that the rate of new confirmed COVID-19 cases was rising as Texas began to allow certain kinds of businesses to reopen. “The land mines are planted,” he said, “and as we begin to walk around, we’re gonna step on them.” Bing went on to express concerns that Americans are no longer adhering to social distancing guidelines as well, and that this will likely contribute to an even faster spread of the virus as formal restrictions are lifted.

As part of a May 28 segment on CBS Evening News, Bing highlighted the critical importance of wearing masks as communities and states continue to pursue reopening measures, comparing wearing a mask to wearing a seat belt: “You don’t put your seat belt on when you’re six feet from the other car, you put your seat belt on when you get in the car. . . . The same thing goes for the masks.”

Additional information and guidance on COVID-19 is available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

Create Impact in Your Organization
The Institute for Leadership Impact serves schools and social impact organizations of all sizes.  We offer an array of experiential, individual, and team-based leadership experiences and simulations to strengthen your team and support your growth as a leader.

To learn more about our programs, visit our website, email us at leadershipimpact@smu.edu, and engage with us on Twitter.

 

One Year Ago – High School Leadership Challenge at Institute for Leadership Impact

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One year ago, the Institute for Leadership Impact hosted a half-day seminar for over 120 rural Texas high school students in the Upward Bound program.

ORS Upward Bound students at SMU
Students experience a virtual reality surgical simulation designed by Simmons and Guildhall faculty.

In April 2019, students from rural schools in Johnson County visited SMU as part of a federally-funded, college access program called Upward Bound.  Students from Venus, Alvarado, Rio Vista, and Keene were divided into teams and given the chance to brainstorm solutions for a real-world social challenge by pooling their knowledge and strengths.  We were excited to see the creativity and enthusiasm with which they approached the challenge and the ways that they supported one another’s efforts.

While on campus, students also participated in Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality simulations led by Simons faculty Dr. Tony Cuevas and learned about the diverse career opportunities in these fields.

ORS Upward Bound students visit SMU
A student engages with the Virtual Reality simulation.

Upward Bound is a federally-funded program that serves high school students from low-income families and families in which neither parent holds a bachelor’s degree.  SMU has supported underrepresented, first-generation college students through Upward Bound and college access programs for over 50 years, and is proud to welcome fellow Upward Bound students to campus.

Create Impact in Your Organization
The Institute for Leadership Impact serves schools and social impact organizations of all sizes.  We offer an array of experiential, individual and team-based leadership experiences and simulations to strengthen your team and support your growth as a leader.

To learn more about our programs, visit our website, email us at leadershipimpact@smu.edu, and engage with us on Twitter.

 

Our Model

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Leaders in healthcare and education are doing critically important work, and changing contexts demand new approaches to serving communities.

Leading organizations through change is difficult and raises difficult questions:

  • Where are we going as an organization?
  • How will we know if we are making sufficient progress?
  • How do we sustain motivation once challenges inevitably emerge?

The Institute for Leadership Impact utilizes evidence-based methods and frameworks pulled from research in behavioral and management sciences to help leaders maximize their impact.

Impact Model developed by the Institute for Leadership Impact

Impact is measurable and meaningful change. The Institute helps leaders develop impactful solutions in the communities and institutions they serve.

An evidence-based strategy is essential for success. The Institute helps leaders develop customized solutions for their organizations that leverage unique strengths and circumstances.

Execution turns great ideas into reality. To help leaders successfully implement their strategies, the Institute uses personalized strengths assessments and behavioral techniques derived from the latest cognitive research.

Without motivation, even the strongest leaders can struggle to succeed. The Institute puts a special focus on helping leaders connect their work to a deeper sense of personal meaning, helping them discover new ways to motivate and engage themselves, their teams, and their communities.

District Leadership Fellows discussing impact goals for their districts.
District Leadership Fellows discussing impact goals for their districts.

 

Download our 2018-2019 Impact Report to learn more about the education and health leadership training programs where we utilize the Impact Model.

Create Impact in Your Organization
The Institute for Leadership Impact serves schools and social impact organizations of all sizes.  We offer an array of experiential, individual and team-based leadership experiences and simulations to strengthen your team and support your growth as a leader.

To learn more about our programs, visit our website, email us at leadershipimpact@smu.edu, and engage with us on Twitter.

 

Impact Report Highlights Leadership Training in 2018-2019

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The 2018-2019 Impact Report from the Institute for Leadership Impact highlights leadership training in education and health including the District Leadership Fellows, Rural Superintendent Leadership Symposium, Virtual Reality surgical mentoring and research, and Creating Impact in Global & Public Health class.

Institute for Leadership Impact 2018-2019 Report

During the 2018-2019 academic year, the Institute reached new heights by training over one hundred leaders, hosting several leadership workshops, conducting innovative research, and debuting a host of new programs to create impact in the region, nation, and world. The leaders who participated in Institute programs are diverse: students and seasoned professionals, leaders in health and education, and more. The programs are presented in various settings, on and off the SMU campus, from rural communities in Texas to urban settings in Africa. Our training programs – and the leaders who participate in them – will have ripple effects that last far into the future.

Education was a major focus of leadership training and included convening the second cohort of District Leadership Fellows.  This program provides rural school district leaders with the tools and peer support they need to respond to their unique challenges more effectively. Participants work together to create meaningful change in their districts.

In May 2019, the Institute hosted the first annual Rural Superintendent Leadership Symposium on the SMU campus. The symposium focused on the challenges faced by superintendents of rural school districts and the strategic steps that the District Leadership Fellows are taking to address them. In attendance were school leaders from across the North Texas region, Simmons education policy students, and other community members.

Health was another key area for leadership training as mentoring and research continued on the Virtual Reality Surgery Simulator.  This project aims to reduce the time and cost required to train surgeons in lower-income countries by using virtual reality surgical simulation training in conjunction with remote real-time supervision of surgical trainees.  The project, which uses a simulated operating room environment, runs on affordable off-the-shelf gaming equipment and is designed to help surgical trainees develop their knowledge of complicated surgical procedures.

SMU students enrolled in Dr. Bing’s Creating Impact in Global & Public Health course had the opportunity to develop their leadership skills and work in teams to help community organizations develop strategies to address complex public health challenges. In addition to learning best practices for strategy and effective implementation, students received team coaching from leaders across the health system.

A full version of the 2018-2019 Institute for Leadership Impact Report is available for download here.

Create Impact in Your Organization
The Institute for Leadership Impact serves schools and social impact organizations of all sizes.  We offer an array of experiential, individual and team-based leadership experiences and simulations to strengthen your team and support your growth as a leader.

To learn more about our programs, visit our website, email us at leadershipimpact@smu.edu, and engage with us on Twitter.