Four faculty selected for the SEC Academic Leadership Program

Four University of Georgia faculty members have been named Fellows of the 2021-2022 Southeastern Conference Academic Leadership Development Program.

Throughout the fellowship year, participants deepen their knowledge of topics such as budgeting, accreditation, student affairs, and diversity and inclusion while learning how UGA and other SEC institutions navigate the challenges and opportunities of contemporary higher education. The fellows will participate in two SEC ALDP workshops, the first of which will be hosted by UGA in October.

“The SEC ALDP program gives faculty from UGA and other SEC universities a chance to learn more about leadership roles in higher education,” said Meg Amstutz, associate provost for academic programs and UGA’s SEC ALDP liaison. “The program offers networking opportunities with SEC colleagues as well as guidance from senior university officials over the course of the year.”

UGA’s 2021 – 2022 SEC ALDP Fellows are:

• Jody Clay-Warner, Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor in the department of sociology, part of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, and associate director of the Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
• Edward Delgado-Romero, associate dean for faculty and staff services in the Mary Frances Early College of Education and professor in the department of counseling and human development services
• Ramaraja Ramasamy, associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Engineering and professor in the School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, with a joint appointment in the department of chemistry; and
• Elizabeth Weeks, associate provost for faculty affairs and the Charles H. Kirbo Chair in Law in the School of Law.

The fall workshop at UGA will include opportunities for the fellows to meet with UGA President Jere W. Morehead and Provost S. Jack Hu, networking with former UGA Fellows, and tours of campus facilities such as the Special Collections Libraries, the State Botanical Garden of Georgia and Sanford Stadium.

Clay-Warner focuses her research on understanding responses to injustice in various forms, including criminal victimization. She was a 2017-2018 participant of UGA’s Women’s Leadership Fellows program and a recipient of the Georgia Sociological Association Sociologist of the Year Award, as well as UGA’s Owens Creative Research Award. Clay-Warner also co-directs the Laboratory for the Study of Social Interaction in the department of sociology.

Delgado-Romero focuses his research on linguistic and cultural competence in the provision of psychological services to the Latinx population. He is the founder of Clinica In La’Kech, a free Spanish language psychological clinic in the Athens community that trains UGA Ph.D. and M.S.W. students. Delgado-Romero is a recipient of the UGA Public Service and Outreach Engaged Scholar Award and the national Beckman Award, which recognizes “teachers who have inspired their former students to make a significant contribution to society.”

Ramasamy is a chemical engineer by training who focuses his research on the areas of electrochemical energy conversion, biosensors and bio-nano materials that overlap with material science, biochemistry, microbiology, biotechnology and analytical chemistry. He also directs the Nano-Electrochemistry Research Laboratory. He served as the inaugural chair for the School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering between 2016 and 2017 and has been the associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Engineering since 2018.

Weeks focuses her scholarship on torts, health law, health care financing and regulation, and public health law. She was a 2018-2019 participant of UGA’s Women’s Leadership Fellows program and a recipient of the Health Law Scholars Award from the American Society of Law, Medicine, and Ethics and the Howard M. and Susan Immel Award for Teaching Excellence. As associate provost for faculty affairs, she works with campus leaders on faculty-related policies, processes and records, as well as professional development programming for faculty. Weeks has maintained her academic appointment and continues to teach in the School of Law.

Launched in 2007, the SEC ALDP program is part of the SEC’s academic relations department. The program is a collaboration between the SEC universities aimed at preparing faculty members for future leadership roles within the university. Past fellows at UGA have been appointed to leadership positions including vice provost, dean, associate provost and associate vice president.

The Southeastern Conference Academic Leadership Development Program Fellowship nomination process is administered by the Office of Academic Programs. To learn more or see a list of past fellows, visit https://provost.uga.edu/resources/faculty-resources/fellowships/administrative-fellows-program/.