ILA Leadership Education Academy

Nathan Eva, Ph.D. (he/his) is an Associate Professor and Co-Director of Engagement in the Department of Management at the Monash Business School, Kulin Nation, Australia. He was a 2021 Fulbright Scholar. Nathan was awarded the 2016 and 2013 Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence and nominated for Monash University’s 2017 and 2016 Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence for his local and international leadership development units. ​​Nathan’s research on servant leadership and leadership development has appeared in leading international outlets such as The Leadership Quarterly, Journal of Organizational Behavior, and Human Resource Management. He is the Chair of the Leadership Scholarship division for ILA, a Senior Editor for Management and Organization Review and an editorial board member of The Leadership Quarterly, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Journal of Business Ethics, and Group and Organization Management.

Jill Arensdorf, PhD is in her 5th year of service as the Fort Hays State University (FHSU) Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.  She also holds the rank of professor in the Leadership program at FHSU.  Her research interests include civic engagement and leadership, leadership behavior and skill development, and the transfer of learning. She has been active in civic engagement efforts at FHSU, co-writing FHSU’s Civic Investment Plan, and co-coordinated a freshmen learning community at FHSU, L3-Live. Learn. Lead. for nine years. Dr. Arensdorf has received both the prestigious Navigator and Pilot Awards at FHSU for her exceptional advising and teaching.  In 2017-18, she served as President of the Association of Leadership Educators (ALE).  She completed her Master’s Degree in Agricultural Education at Texas A&M University and her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction at Kansas State University.

Dr. Arensdorf is extremely passionate about teaching about and participating in leadership.  In addition to her leadership responsibilities at FHSU, she serves on the local Big Brothers/Big Sisters board, FHSU Foundation Board of Trustees, and the Kansas Leadership Center board.  Prior to her work at FHSU, she worked as a 4-H/Youth Extension Agent with K-State Research and Extension.  Dr. Arensdorf’s interests include spending time with her family, music, golfing, reading, and trying new recipes.

Nyasha M. GuramatunhuCooper, PhD, is a passionate learning and development consultant and leadership educator, working with organizations across industries. Nyasha is the founder of Girton Road Leadership  Learning & Consulting and serves consultant, facilitator, and faculty roles with organizations such the Center for Creative Leadership, DeEtta Jones & Associates, and Soley DEI Consulting. Nyasha has facilitated team retreats, professional development programs, and capacity-building sessions for clients across industries. With extensive experience in learning experience design, Nyasha taught undergraduate through doctoral leadership courses as Associate Professor of Leadership Studies at Our Lady of the Lake University, Assistant and Associate Professor of Leadership Studies at Kennesaw State University, and adjunct faculty at Gonzaga University. Recognized for excellence in teaching, research, and service at Kennesaw State University, Nyasha has been honored as a recipient of the University College Distinguished Faculty Award, the University College Excellence in Teaching Award, the Leadership and Integrative Studies Kiesler Service Award, and the Kennesaw State University Outstanding Early Career Faculty Award.

Dan Jenkins, Ph.D., is Professor of Leadership & Organizational Studies at the University of Southern Maine. He received his doctorate in Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis in Higher Education Administration from the University of South Florida. Dan is co-author of The Role of Leadership Educators: Transforming Learning and has published more than 50 articles and book chapters on leadership education.  As an award-winning international speaker and facilitator, Dan has engaged thousands of leadership educators, students, and professionals on topics such as leadership pedagogy, followership, and curriculum and course design. Additionally, Dan is  past Chair of the ILA Leadership Education Member Community, Co-Founder of the ILA Leadership Education Academy, Vice-Chair of the Collegiate Leadership Competition, Co-Lead of the Association of Leadership Educators Teaching & Pedagogy/Andragogy Focus Area Network, Associate Editor of the Journal of Leadership Studies, and co-host of The Leadership Educator Podcast. 

Darren Pierre, Ph.D., (he/him) is a lecturer in the Office of Global Engineering Leadership in the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland-College Park. Pierre is a thought-leader within higher education, authoring a book, book chapters, journal articles, and presenting at numerous conferences on topics centered on leadership, identity development, and student engagement. In 2020, he led a team in developing one of the nine strategic priorities developed to inform the 2020–2025 National Leadership Education Research Agenda (NLERA). He is co-editor of  the special issue Leadership Education through Complex Transitions in the New Directions for Student Leadership series. Dr. Pierre received his Ph.D. in College Student Affairs Administration from the University of Georgia.

Dr. Melissa L. Rocco (she/her) is a senior lecturer in the College of Education and Social Services at the University of Vermont. At the core of Dr. Rocco’s work is her desire to help individuals, groups, and communities identify, develop, and engage their capacity for change-making. Her research, teaching, and practice focus on the application of transformative and liberatory pedagogy to challenge dominant leadership narratives and center identity, equity, and justice in leadership education. Dr. Rocco primarily teaches courses on leadership and identity, social action and change, learning and curriculum design, developmental theory, and postsecondary educator preparation.

Dr. Rocco’s professional and scholarly contributions include roles as Faculty Director for the National Clearinghouse for Leadership Programs (NCLP), co-chairperson for the Leadership Educators Symposium (LES) and Leadership Educators Institute (LEI); and national representative to the Council for the Advancement of Standards (CAS) in higher education. She is also a collaborating author on the National Leadership Education Research Agenda 2020-2025, issue editor and author for New Directions for Student Leadership (NDSL), and contributor and reviewer for some of the most widely-used texts in graduate and undergraduate leadership education.

Prior to her faculty appointments, Dr. Rocco worked as a higher education administrator in functional areas including co-curricular leadership programs, student activities, academic advising, and fraternity and sorority life. She has also facilitated hundreds of leadership programs for professionals and students across the globe through her consulting and volunteer work. Dr. Rocco has over 18 years of professional experience as an educator and holds a PhD in Higher Education, Student Affairs, & International Education Policy from the University of Maryland.

Corey Seemiller, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Leadership Studies in Education and Organizations at Wright State University. Corey is the author of several books, including The Student Leadership Competencies Guidebook, Generation Z: A Century in the Making, Generation Z Goes to College, Generation Z Leads, Generation Z Learns, and Gen Z Around the World, and gave a talk at TEDxDayton on Generation Z, which has been viewed by more than a quarter million people. Corey has served as an issue editor for New Directions for Student Leadership, co-chair for the National Leadership Symposium, co-chair for the Leadership Education Academy, board member of Lead365, and Associate Editor for the Journal of Leadership Studies.

Dr. Gayle Spencer has served as the Director of the Illinois Leadership Center since October 2013. She also serves as an instructor in the College of Engineering teaching “Emotional Intelligence Skills” and “Leading Sustainable Change.” Previously, at Kansas State University, she served as an Associate Dean of Student Life and adjunct faculty member in the Staley School of Leadership Studies. Spencer has also worked at the University of Notre Dame (IN), and the University of Houston (TX). In all her roles, putting students first and finding ways to make sure all students are engaged in both curricular and co-curricular experiences has been her focus.

Spencer served as the Chair of the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) Board of Directors from 2002-2003 and was a member of the Board of Directors from 1999-2004. She served on the NACA Foundation Board of Trustees from 2018-2021 and was the 1999 NACA National Convention Chair and was the Chair of the NACA Diversity Task Force.

Spencer is currently representing NACA on the Council for Advancement of Standards (CAS) in Higher Education National Board of Representatives and serves on its Executive Board. She is currently the President of CAS.

Spencer has also been actively involved in the International Leadership Association (ILA), having served on the Sustainability Leadership Member Steering Committee and a Committee Member for the 2021 Sustainability and Beyond: Reimagining Leadership for Just and Regenerative Global Futures Virtual Summit. She currently is serving on the Committee for the Advancement of Leadership Programs (CALP).

Her volunteer experience also includes working with Chi Omega Fraternity, serving as a chapter advisor for several years. She has served on many national committees, including the National Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the Collegiate Engagement Team, and currently the National Housing Corporation Team.

Awards and honors Spencer has received include the 2015 Founders Award from NACA, the 2005 Western Illinois University Alumni Achievement Award, the 2004 NACA East Coast Higher Education Research Scholarship, and the 2004 American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Commission for Student Involvement Research Award.

In her spare time, Spencer is an avid sports fan, who enjoys watching and attending college football, basketball, baseball, and volleyballs. She is also an avid Cubs and Blackhawks fan. Spencer also enjoys reading and traveling. An avid dog lover, Gayle has a chihuahua named Wrigley, who was born the night the Cubs won the world series, November 2, 2015.

Selected Publications:

Rosch, D.M., Wilson, K.D., May, R.A., Spencer, G.L. (2023). The hidden leadership curriculum: Alumni perspectives on the leadership lessons gained through co-curricular engagement. Journal of Leadership Education 22(1), 116-130.

Rosch, D.M., Wilson, K.D., May, R.A., Spencer, G.L. (2023). Challenging the perception: Alumni observations of the value of student leadership initiatives. Journal of Leadership Education 22(1), 40-54.

Spencer, G.L., and Smedick, W (2020). CAS Standards for Campus Activities Programs: A review of the Contextual Statement and Standards. The journal of Campus Activities Practice and Scholarship, 2(1), 18-23.

Smith, K., Spencer, G.L., and Rooney, G.S. (Eds). (2018). Leadership development for career readiness in university settings, no. 157. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Rosch, D., Spencer, G.L., and Hoag, B.L. (2017). A comprehensive multi-level model for campus-based leadership education. Journal of Leadership Education, 16(4), 124-134.

Spencer, G.L, and Peck, A. (2017). Soft Skills in Leadership Development. In. A. Peck (Ed.), Engagement and Employability: Integrating Career Learning Through Co-Curricular Experiences in Postsecondary Education. Washington, D.C.: National Association for Student Personnel Administrators.

John Weng, PhD, ICF PCC is a leadership educator, coach, and practitioner. He is the Principal of his own practice, John Weng Consulting LLC and serves as Faculty for the Center for Creative Leadership and a Leadership Coach with ExecOnline. He is a lecturer at the University of San Diego in the department of leadership studies teaching, department for counseling and marital family therapy, and Knauss School of Business. He is credentialed by the International Coaching Federation as an Professional Certified Coach, Gallup as a Certified Strengths Coach, and the Myers-Briggs Foundation as a MBTI Master Practitioner. He is certified in a variety of tools such as the Hogan, WorkPlace Big 5 and the CCL 360 Assessments. He is a co-editor and contributing author of the special issue Leadership Education through Complex Transitions and upcoming issue on Intentional Emergence in the New Directions for Student Leadership series. His scholarship and practice is informed by his experience with the group relations methodology, as a certified consultant with the A.K.Rice Institute for the Study of Social Systems and co-creator at Group Relations International.

Cris Wildermuth, Ed.D. (she/her) is an Associate Professor of Education and the Director of Barry University’s Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership. At Barry, Dr. Wildermuth teaches organizational leadership, ethics, and human resource development courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Dr. Wildermuth has traveled extensively, facilitating leadership development programs in Europe and Latin America. She is the author of the book Diversity Training, published by the Association for Talent Development, and has been published in various academic journals such as the Journal of Business Ethics, the Journal of Academic Ethics, the Journal of Leadership Education, and the Journal of Psychological Issues In Organizational Culture. Wildermuth is passionate about the use of pop culture – especially TV shows, movies, and fables – in her graduate and undergraduate courses. Her courses have incorporated materials from classic TV Game Shows, The Hunger Games, the legend of King Arthur, the Food Network “Chopped” competition, and the TV series Game of Thrones. Currently, Dr. Wildermuth is exploring applications of the TV series The Handmaid’s Tale to adaptive and crisis leadership.