Every year, USC selects five faculty fellows to participate in the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) Academic Leadership Program (ALP) and another five to participate in the Department Executive Officers (DEO) program. These are faculty who demonstrate a strong desire to be leaders in higher education and are nominated by their schools to participate in this competitive program.
The DEO Program includes three online sessions and one in-person workshop at the Big Ten Conference Center in Rosemont, IL, in which participants discuss topics ranging from problem-solving to faculty mentoring. After returning from the week-long leadership program with approximately 65 department executive officers from across the Big Ten universities, these USC fellows returned to Los Angeles with a newfound sense of inspiration and community:
“I had high expectations going into the program and they were exceeded… The utility of this network as a sounding board and source of ideas, information, and support cannot be understated.” – Naomi M. Levine, Gabilan Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences, Quantitative and Computational Biology and Earth Sciences, Vice-Chair, Marine & Environmental Biology
“It was especially useful to appreciate that regardless of geography, discipline, and background, there is a supportive community across the Big Ten.” – Barry C. Thompson, Chair of the Chemistry Department
“It’s my great honor to be part of the 2025 BTAA-DEO Fellows Program, and I truly enjoyed the close interactions with and wonderful ideas and strategies shared by the participants and speakers on how to become a more effective DEO.” – Jinchi Lv, Kenneth King Stonier Chair in Business Administration, Professor of Data Sciences and Operations, and Mathematics
“It helped to hear that others were struggling with the same kind of tricky situations regardless of the school or type of department and to exchange ideas about best practices. I really enjoyed the candid and open atmosphere with a focus on self improvement.” – William G.J. Halfond, Professor of Computer Science
Likewise, the ALP program, is “designed to address the diverse and evolving landscape of higher education” (BTAA). By selecting faculty members with unique interests, perspectives, and backgrounds, the group aims to navigate complex challenges of academic administration. The program involves one virtual orientation and three three-day seminars in-person at various BTAA universities.
The ALP fellows recently attended their first in-person seminar at the start of October at Indiana University, and they still have two more upcoming seminars in February and April. We look forward to seeing what more these impressive USC fellows have to share and what they will do as they continue making waves in academic administration!