Big Ten Academic Alliance Leadership Program 

The Big Ten Academic Alliance Leadership Program (ALP) is a year-long experience designed to develop leadership and managerial skills in faculty who have demonstrated exceptional ability and academic promise. Fellows have the opportunity to interact with other ALP cohorts at three seminars sponsored by the Big Ten Academic Alliance. In addition to building networks across the Big Ten, our MSU Fellows build community among their own cohort by attending a variety of meetings with university leaders of their choosing.
 

Qualifications

The Office of the Provost provides funding for five individuals to participate in the Academic Leadership Program. MSU has two selection methods to create a cross-institutional cohort of Fellows.

Tenure System, NSCL/FRIB, Health Programs Faculty, and Librarians

Four applicants will be selected through an application and interview process. Applicants should:

  • be appointed in the tenure system, NSCL/FRIB, Library, or Health Programs faculty appointment systems
  • have a strong faculty background and commitment to administration
  • have a minimum of five years of professional experience in a university setting

Other MSU Faculty and Staff

The Provost will select one to two additional members of the cohort in consultation with senior MSU leaders, from among the rest of the MSU faculty, academic staff, and support staff.

If your MSU appointment is not as a faculty member in the tenure system, NSCL, Library, or Health Programs system, and you wish to pursue the ALP, please contact your dean, vice president, or other senior administrator who can indicate their support for your participation. Please have them send a letter addressing why you would be a good candidate for the program (no longer than one page) to ofasd@msu.edu by March 12, 2026.  Applicants in this category do not need to fill out the application.

Questions

Questions may be directed to ofasd@msu.edu.

Program Expectations

Fellows are expected to attend approximately 12 on-campus ALP sessions with MSU speakers; three three-day off-campus seminars; and two dinner events. MSU meetings will be scheduled after the Fellows meet to select speakers at the beginning of the 2025-26 academic year.

2025-26 ALP Off-campus Seminars

  • Welcome Session: Sept. 19, 2025 (Zoom)
  • Seminar I: Oct. 9-11, 2025 (Indiana University)
  • Seminar II: Feb. 12-14, 2026 (University of Illinois)
  • Seminar III: April 16-18, 2026 (University of Iowa)
     

Current Fellows

Felix Kronenberg

  • Linguistics, Language, and Culture, Professor and Center Director

Sheneka Williams

  • Educational Director, Professor/Chairperson

Nathan Kyocki

  • Pharmacology and Toxicology, Associate Professor; Center Director

Claire Valloton

  • Human Development and Family Studies, Professor/Associate Chair/DGS

Kara Yermak

  • Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs, Assistant Provost

Past Fellows

  • Lesley Comer, Associate Director, Institutional Space Planning and Management, comerles@msu.edu
  • Jade Mitchell, Professor and Associate Department Chair, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and College of Engineering, jade@msu.edu
  • Annette O'Connor, Professor, Interim Associate Dean, and Chairperson, College of Veterinary Medicine, oconn445@msu.edu
  • Nelson Sepúlveda Alancastro, Professor and Interim Chairperson, College of Engineering, sepulve6@msu.edu
  • Ryan Sweeder, Professor and Associate Dean, Lyman Briggs College, sweeder@msu.edu  
  • Michelle Mazei-Robison, Professor, College of Natural Science, mazeirob@msu.edu
  • Carla A. Pfeffer, College of Social Science, cpfeffer@msu.edu
  • Genyne L. Royal, Student Life & Engagement, royalgen@msu.edu
  • Katherine Ruger, College of Osteopathic Medicine, ruger@msu.edu
  • Peter Savolainen, College of Engineering, pete@msu.edu
  • Andrea Wittenborn, Professor and Chairperson, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, College of Social Science, andreaw@msu.edu 
  • Melissa Del Rio, The Graduate School
  • Terrence Frazier, Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion
  • Teresa Mastin, College of Communication Arts & Sciences
  • Dawn Misra, College of Human Medicine
  • Terah Venzant Chambers, College of Education, terah@msu.edu 
  • Maria Isabel Ayala, College of Social Science, ayalam@msu.edu
  • Peter Berg, College of Social Science
  • Joanna Bosse, Residential College in the Arts and Humanities and College of Music
  • Bethen Cantwell, Director of Institutional Research
  • Glenn Chambers, College of Social Science
  • Kirsten Tollefson, College of Natural Science
  • Kristine Bowman, Associate Dean, Academic & Student Affairs and Professor of Education Policy, College of Education, klbowman@msu.edu
  • Charles (Lee) Cox, Colleges of Natural Science, Human Medicine, and Osteopathic Medicine
  • David Hyndman, College of Natural Science
  • Heidi Schroeder, MSU Libraries
  • Quentin Tyler, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • Angela Wilson, College of Natural Science, akwilson@msu.edu
  • Kendra Cheruvelil, Dean, Lyman Briggs College, ksc@msu.edu
  • Cara Cilano, College of Arts & Letters
  • Pero Gaglo Dagbovie, The Graduate School
  • Ashley Green, International Studies
  • John Papapolymerou, College of Engineering
  • Nwando Achebe, College of Social Science
  • Andrew Christlieb, College of Engineering
  • Sonja Fritzsche, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and Administration, College of Arts & Letters, fritzsc9@msu.edu
  • Thomas Jeitschko, The Graduate School
  • Melissa McDaniels, The Graduate School
  • Dorinda Carter Andrews, College of Education
  • Eric Hegg, College of Natural Science, erichegg@msu.edu
  • Melanie B. Jacobs, College of Law
  • Joseph Messina, College of Social Science
  • Allyn Shaw, AVP for Student Development and Leadership and Dean of Students, Student Affairs and Services, shawall@msu.edu 
  • Laura Bix, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • Shelia Cotten, College of Communication Arts and Sciences, cotten@msu.edu
  • Monique Field, Governmental Affairs
  • Richard Kobe, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • Robert LaDuca, Lyman Briggs College and College of Natural Science
  • Amy Bonomi, College of Social Science
  • Kathy Collins, Auxiliary Services
  • Walter Hawthorne, College of Social Science
  • Beronda Montgomery, College of Natural Science
  • Remco Zegers, National Superconducting Cyclotron Lab
  • Daniel Bollman, Engineering and Architectural Services
  • Lisa Cook, James Madison College and Economics
  • Julia Grant, James Madison College
  • William Horne, College of Veterinary Medicine
  • Barbara Kranz, Office of Planning and Budgets
  • Bradley Marks, College of Engineering
  • Kelley Bishop, Student Affairs and Services
  • Neeraj Buch, College of Engineering
  • Suzanne Lang, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • David Rayl, College of Music, Vallabh Sambamurthy, Eli Broad College of Business
  • Karen Patricia Williams, College of Human Medicine
  • William Cooke, College of Social Science
  • Ellen Cushman, College of Arts & Letters
  • Rita Kiki Edozie, James Madison College
  • Alan Haller, Athletics
  • Nicole Rovig, University Registrar
  • Juli Wade, College of Social Science
  • Tom Berding, College of Arts and Letters
  • Sekhar Chivukula, Professor of Physics, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education, Designate
    sekhar@msu.edu
  • Ken Horvath, Residential and Hospitality Services
  • Paul Mantica, National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory
  • Kami Silk, College of Communication Arts and Sciences
  • Aurles Wiggins, Office of Supportive Services
  • Melissa Baumann, Honors College
  • Jan Collins-Eaglin, Counseling Center
  • Sheila Contreras, College of Arts & Letters
  • Sanjay Gupta, Eli Broad College of Business
  • Mark Notman, College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Cheryl Sisk, College of Natural Science
  • Matt Anderson, Eli Broad College of Business
  • Lynda Boomer, Physical Plant Administration
  • Leo Kempel, College of Engineering
  • Michael Lawrence, College of Law
  • Lucy Maillette, Eli Broad College of Business
  • Don Sefcik, College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Johannes Bauer, College of Communication Arts and Sciences
  • John Kosciulek, College of Education
  • Denise Maybank, Student Affairs and Services
  • Malea Powell, College of Arts & Letters
  • Pamela Whitten, College of Communication Arts and Sciences
  • Kristine Zayko, Office of the General Counsel
  • Kelly Beck, MSU Police
  • Denise Holmes, College of Human Medicine
  • Mark Kornbluh, College of Social Science
  • Susan Applegate Krouse, College of Social Science
  • Reitu Mabokela, College of Education
  • Brendan Mullan, College of Social Science
  • Rochele Cotter, University Data Resources
  • Laura Dillon, College of Engineering
  • Christopher Dunbar, College of Education
  • Paul Goldblatt, Residence Life
  • Thomas Linsmeier, Eli Broad College of Business
  • Scott Winterstein, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • Dave DeWitt, College of Natural Science
  • Penny Fischer, Police and Public Safety
  • Eunice Foster, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • Mary Lundeberg, College of Education
  • Elizabeth Simmons, Lyman Briggs School (then school)
  • Dave Weatherspoon, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • David Campbell, Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies
  • William Cooke, College of Social Science
  • Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, College of Social Science
  • Rene Stewart O’Neal, Office of Planning and Budgets
  • E. Renée Sanders-Lawson, Office of Supportive Services
  • Steven J. Triezenberg, College of Natural Science
  • Deborah L. Feltz, College of Education
  • Kelly Funk, Student Learning Outcomes Assessment
  • Gordon Henry, College of Arts & Letters
  • Charlene D. Patterson, Counseling Center
  • Carol Slomski, College of Human Medicine
  • Judith Stoddart, Vice Provost, University Arts and Collections, stoddart@msu.edu 
  • Pamela Beemer, Human Resources
  • Terry Curry, College of Social Science
  • Joan Ferrini-Mundy, College of Education
  • ,Margaret Knapp, MSU Health Team
  • Yen-Hwei Lin, College of Arts & Letters
  • Francisco Villarruel, College of Social Science
  • Alison Barber, Eli Broad College of Business
  • Marguerite Barratt, College of Social Science
  • Maenette Benham, College of Education
  • Paulette Granberry Russell, Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives, prussell@msu.edu
  • Rex LaMore, College of Social Science
  • Neal Schmitt, College of Social Science
  • Stephen Esquith, College of Arts & Letters
  • Kristine Hynes, Human Resources
  • Patrick O’Donnell, College of Arts & Letters
  • Elba Santiago, Student Affairs and Services
  • Yevonne Smith, College of Education
  • Ajit Srivastava, College of Engineering
  • Janet Bokemeier, College of Social Science
  • James Forger, College of Music
  • Shirley Harding, College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Fred Kayne, University Housing
  • Patricia Lowrie, Women’s Resource Center
  • Folu Ogundimu, College of Communication Arts and Sciences
  • William Anderson, College of Human Medicine
  • Catherine Bristow, College of Natural Science
  • Susan Carter, College of Communication Arts and Sciences
  • Mary Clearing-Sky, Counseling Center
  • Elizabeth Eldredge, College of Social Science
  • Scott McGill, Administrative Information Services
  • Barbara Ames, College of Social Science
  • David Brower, Controller
  • Ronald Harichandran, College of Engineering
  • David Kaufman, College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Richard Shipman, Office of Financial Aid
  • Cynthia Taggart, College of Music
  • Richard Evans, James Madison College
  • Roger Hamlin, College of Social Science
  • Marjorie Kostelnik, College of Social Science
  • Rodney Patterson, Student Affairs and Services
  • William Spielman, College of Natural Science
  • G. Marie Swanson, Cancer Center
  • Carla Carleton, College of Veterinary Medicine
  • Curtis Probst, College of Veterinary Medicine
  • Venice Smith, Human Resources
  • Patricia Stock, College of Arts & Letters
  • William Taylor, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • Kenneth Waltzer, James Madison College
  • Angela White Brown, University Housing
  • Ben Cathey, College of Natural Science
  • Tracy Dobson, International Studies and Programs
  • Peter Dominguez, College of Music
  • Pat Enos, Student Affairs and Services
  • Karen Klomparens, College of Natural Science
  • Terry Stein, Colleges of Human Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine
  • Denise Anderton, Human Resources
  • Gretchen Barbatsis, College of Communication Arts and Sciences
  • Patricia Paulsell, College of Arts & Letters
  • Donald Straney, College of Natural Science
  • Christopher Vanderpool, College of Social Science
  • George Cornell, Colleges of Arts & Letters and Social Science
  • Bonita Curry, Counseling Center
  • Dorothy Harper Jones, College of Social Science
  • Cheri Johnson, College of Veterinary Medicine
  • Gilbert Williams, College of Communication Arts & Sciences
  • Tony Atwater, College of Communication Arts and Sciences
  • Wanda Lipscomb, Colleges of Human Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine
  • Patrick McConeghy, College of Arts and Letters
  • Maureen McDonough, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • Eddie Moore, MSU Extension
  • Joyce Ladenson, College of Arts & Letters
  • Marvel Lang, College of Social Science
  • Ram Narasimhan, Eli Broad College of Business
  • Richard Navarro, College of Education
  • Sharon Zablotney, College of Natural Science