Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,
We are pleased to announce the Presidential Leadership Fellows, a new program for sophomores and juniors that will begin next semester. Below is a description along with instructions for nominations, including self nominations. We hope you will spread the word about this new opportunity for aspiring young leaders.
University of Vermont Presidential Leadership Fellows
An opportunity for future leaders to critically examine contemporary issues, convened by President Suresh Garimella
The University of Vermont is recognized for its highly engaged students. To cultivate the next generation of leaders, President Suresh Garimella and Honors College Dean David Jenemann seek nominations—including self-nominations—of current sophomores and juniors for the University of Vermont Presidential Leadership Conversations (PLC). These Conversations will engage aspiring student leaders in addressing pressing and often perplexing societal challenges in a spirit of collaboration, creativity, curiosity, civility, and interdisciplinary exploration.
The Fellows and Conversations
In Spring 2022, Presidential Leadership Fellows will join President Garimella, Dean Jenemann, and special guests for three, 4-week, in-depth Conversations on contemporary issues that demand the incorporation of multiple perspectives to formulate workable solutions.
The Conversations strive to instill reasoning and analytical skills that lead to the critical discernment necessary for future leaders and change agents to realize their personal, academic, and professional goals. They will provide opportunities to interact with current leaders at the forefront of today’s challenging and complex issues.
For each Conversation, Fellows will work with experts from within and beyond the university to identify the conflicting perspectives of the Conversation themes, address their impact on a local and global scale, and explore evidence-based approaches and strategies.
Nominations
We invite nominations for a class of up to 12 Presidential Leadership Fellows. We seek a diverse group of nominees from every academic discipline and interest area. Nominations should speak to the student’s evidence of leadership potential, academic achievement, and commitment to community engagement and impact.
Additionally, students must be of sophomore or junior standing and have achieved a GPA of at least 3.0.
Other Activities
PLFs will attend an opening reception at which the expectations for the semester will be laid out. Then, approximately weekly, fellows will gather for Conversation discussions and activities. At the conclusion of the Conversations, Fellows will share their reflections at a dinner hosted by President Garimella. Fellows will receive appropriate acknowledgement of their participation at the end of the semester.
In addition to participating in the Presidential Leadership Conversations, Fellows will have opportunities to interact with community and university partners that expose them to leadership, research, and professional opportunities. They will also receive support from the Office of Fellowships, Opportunities, and Undergraduate Research (FOUR) to translate their experiences in the PLC into research projects, internship opportunities, and applications for national and international fellowships.
Nominations for Presidential Leadership Fellows may be submitted here. Nominations will be accepted through November 20. Nominated students will then be required to submit an academic transcript and letter of interest outlining their leadership experiences and goals. Self-nominees should submit these materials along with their nomination. Fellows will be announced in early December with the inaugural Conversation anticipated to begin in January of 2022.
We look forward to launching the Presidential Leadership Conversations. Thank you for helping us identify the next generation of leaders.
Some possible topics that may be considered can be found in the following articles:
https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2021/07/us/american-south-biomass-energy-invs/
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-bipartisanship-in-the-senate-is-dying/
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/04/30/get-rich-u
Suresh V. Garimella, President
David Jenemann, Dean, Honors College