UW-River Falls' Davis Graduates from HERS Denver Summer Institute

August 29, 2013--Tricia Davis, Ph.D., associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, and Somerset resident, recently graduated from the HERS Denver Summer Institute held July 21-Aug. 4 at the University of Denver.   

Since 1978, the HERS Institute for Women in Higher Education at Wellesley College has offered women faculty and administrators the opportunity to participate in an intensive program that prepares them to be leaders in higher education. 

The 70 participants selected for this year's institute represented 50 institutions across the U.S. Responding to the current environment for higher education globally, the institute had a special focus this year on "Women Leaders: Facing the Challenges as We Re-Invent Higher Education." Topics included "Understanding the Environment for Higher Education," "Planning & Leading Change in the Academy," "Managing & Investing Strategic Resources," "Engaging Individual & Institutional Diversity," and "Mapping Your Leadership Development."  

Davis, a professor of sociology, has been at UW-River Falls since 2000. She has served as associate dean since 2010. She previously was the assistant dean in CAS from 2008-2010 and university assessment coordinator from 2006-2008.   

"The intensive training provided by the HERS Institute has given me tools to be a better leader for the college and university," Davis said. 

"A major focus of the program centered on helping women to understand and cultivate our leadership capacity in the context of our professional goals and role within the university," said Davis. "We learned more about the workings of higher education in areas as diverse as university finances, IT, and legal issues, from institute faculty who have experience in those areas. As I understand it, I was the first UWRF woman to attend a HERS Institute – and I hope to not be the last." 

Over the years, HERS has prepared more than 4,300 women faculty and administrators for leadership roles. Today HERS Alumnae are active on more than 1,200 public and private campuses across the U.S., South Africa, Botswana, India, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Micronesia, and the Caribbean. More than 500 HERS alumnae now serve in senior level positions. For more information about HERS, visit www.hersnet.org.