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University leaders share wisdom with mid-career faculty

December 19, 2024
The Moderator and Panelists
  • Sumit Dhar, Associate Provost for Faculty; Hugh Knowles Professor of Hearing Science, Soc, moderator 
  • Molly Losh, Associate Dean for Research; Jo Ann G. and Peter F. Dolle Professor of Learning Disabilities, SoC
  • Brian Mustanski, Associate Vice President for Social and Behavioral Research, Office for Research; Director, Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing; and Professor, Medical Social Sciences, FSM 
  • Ted Sargent, Executive Director, Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy; Lynn Hopton Davis ad Greg Davis Professor of Chemistry, WCAS; and Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, McCormick  
  • Miriam Sherin, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education; Alice Gabrielle Twight Professor of Learning Sciences, SESP 

In late November,  a group of mid-career faculty gathered for a professional development lunch focused on academic leadership pathways. Part of the Office of the Provost’s Mid-Career Faculty Conversations series, the event featured a panel including five leaders from across the University (see "The Moderator and Panelists" list), who facilitated a discussion about mid-career development, leadership opportunities and promotion at Northwestern. Senior Director for Faculty Joan Johnson jotted down a few pearls of wisdom from the panelists.

On motivation to take on a leadership role

  • "It’s an opportunity to be strategic and to serve the community’s needs." – Brian Mustanski
  • "Often, it’s about fit. I have said no to some opportunities and yes to others that related to what I was passionate about at that time. In my case, the portfolio that attracted me then was Research and Innovation."  – Ted Sargent
  • "I was deep in my own research when I was asked to serve as DGS. I could see leading some changes that I thought would be beneficial." – Molly Losh
  • "In a small school like SESP, everyone has to do something." – Miriam Sherin

On maintaining research while leading

  • "It is a balancing act. It’s hardest at the beginning, and I have become more selective in things like accepting invitations to speak." – Sherin
  • "I had to hire and train people to be in positions of trust and responsibility in my lab; I’m constantly thinking about who has the potential for leadership in my lab." – Losh
  • "You can’t do everything, so you have to be intentional and soul-search about what you want to give up that maybe others can take on instead." – Mustanski
  • "If you are not heading a lab with a staff to help with the research, some leaders at Northwestern have found partners to write with. – Sumit Dhar

On moving from service to leadership

  • "Everyone starts by doing needs-based service. Northwestern notices good work at the department level. Be flexible in responding to an unexpected call to service." – Dhar
  • "These roles can be a learning opportunity, even if they are not aligned with your passions." – Sargent

On managing the transition to leading others

  • "Incorporate more structures, and lay out roles and responsibilities more clearly." – Losh
  • "Learn some principles of leadership, but it’s important to be an authentic leader, to reflect on your own style. Not everyone leads the same way." – Mustanski

On finding joy in leadership

  • "You can incubate new ideas and see other faculty members’ career take off." – Mustanski
  • "It’s a thrill to help problem-solve." – Losh

On finding opportunities that are the right fit

  • "Skipping a level can lead to disaster. It’s important to be chair before being dean, and to go up the ladder without skipping steps." – Sargent
  • "Reflect on the skills you have and the skills you don’t have but could learn, like how to read budgets, for example." – Sherin
  • "Update your decision criteria about saying yes or no to requests. I went from asking myself if something was interesting before I said yes, to asking if it is aligned with my goals." – Mustanski