Heier Stamm attends prestigious HERS Leadership Institute

Jessica Heier Stamm, Gisela and Warren Kennedy cornerstone teaching scholar and associate professor of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering, recently attended the Higher Education Resource Services, or HERS, Leadership Institute.

This program is designed for higher education professionals who have a desire to become more dynamic leaders for themselves and their institutions. Heier Stamm’s participation was supported by the industrial and manufacturing systems engineering department, the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering and the Kansas State University provost’s office.

The HERS Leadership Institute is an intensive skill building program. HERS sessions focus on self-understanding, leading through conflict, equity-minded leadership, leading change, crisis communication, legal issues, using institutional data and negotiation. The organization’s programs have historically been offered to women leaders, and now are open to all individuals who support the mission to create and sustain a diverse network of leaders in higher education.

Heier Stamm, also a Steve Hsu keystone research scholar, said she applied to the HERS program because she expects increasing responsibility as the IMSE department and broader university community undergo important transitions. She is focused on gaining the ability to lead multidisciplinary research teams, shape graduate and undergraduate curricula, foster an inclusive environment for students, faculty and staff, and perform administrative functions.

“I applied to go to HERS because I recognized the need to develop new skills to lead in this context,” she said.

Heier Stamm is currently using some of what she learned at HERS to help IMSE develop plans to sustain the department’s strengths. She is leading a small team of students, faculty, and alumni to propose actions, systems, and/or processes to continue to provide student-centered, holistic technical and professional development. The team’s aim is to propose solutions that leverage the department’s unique strengths, are adaptable to the rapidly changing context, are sustainable, and align with the department, college, and university mission.

Heier Stamm said she will be unpacking the lessons from HERS for the rest of her career and drawing on the skills, knowledge and network that the institute offers.

“Through the HERS Institute, I expanded my network of colleagues who are committed to making a positive impact on the world through higher education,” she said. “I gained a broader understanding of the different leadership roles in higher education and how individuals in those roles can work together to achieve the overall mission. The institute also provided time to reflect on my own strengths and how I can employ those to advance collective goals.”