Four University of Georgia faculty members and academic leaders have been selected as Southeastern Conference Academic Leadership Development Program Fellows for 2026-27. The Fellows are Deepak R. Mishra, Jessica Legge Muilenburg, Erik C. Ness and Eric S. Zeemering.
The program prepares promising faculty members and early-career administrators from the SEC’s 16 universities for executive leadership roles in higher education.
“The faculty members and academic leaders selected for the SEC ALDP have already made a significant impact on UGA, and I’m confident this prestigious program will prepare them for even greater leadership roles in the future,” said Ron Walcott, the university’s interim senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “I extend my sincere congratulations to this year’s Fellows.”
Representing leadership roles in research, higher education, public policy and geography, UGA’s new SEC ALDP Fellows were selected through a competitive process.
Deepak R. Mishra
Mishra serves as the Merle C. Prunty Jr. Professor in Geography and head of the department of geography, overseeing the department’s academic programs and student success initiatives. He also directs UGA’s Center for Geospatial Research and Small Satellite Research Laboratory. His research focuses on satellite remote sensing, conserving coastal and inland water resources and geospatial artificial intelligence for environmental monitoring.
Jessica Legge Muilenburg
As associate vice president of research for faculty affairs and campus engagement, Muilenburg oversees hiring, promotion and professional development for research scientists and postdoctoral scholars across the university. She also leads internal and external award programs that recognize research excellence and serves as a liaison for centers and institutes reporting to the vice president for research.
Erik C. Ness
Ness is a professor and director of the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education, where he has served on the faculty since 2009. He conducts research on higher education politics and policy and collaborates with scholars across several disciplines on the Embark Georgia Research Consortium, which examines the experiences of youth who have previously experienced foster care or homelessness.
Eric S. Zeemering
Zeemering is a professor and department head in the department of public administration and policy in the School of Public and International Affairs. He previously spent eight years as director of the Master of Public Administration program, where he led the program’s reaccreditation. He is co-editor of State and Local Government Review.
The SEC ALDP program includes three components: a university-level development program designed by each institution for its own participants, two SEC-wide three-day workshops held on specified campuses for all program participants, and a competitive fellowship designed to provide administrative growth opportunities for program alumni.
In the university-level program, UGA’s fellows will meet monthly on campus with senior campus leaders and participate in leadership development activities that relate to the cohort’s interests.
“Each year, the SEC ALDP connects UGA’s most promising leaders with counterparts across the conference, giving them tools and perspective they bring back to our campus,” said Paula Lemons, associate provost for faculty affairs. “Our newest fellows represent the depth of leadership talent at UGA, and I look forward to seeing how this experience shapes their continued contributions to the university.”
More information about the Southeastern Conference Academic Leadership Development Program is available on the Office of the Provost website.