Published: Aug. 25, 2023

The Office of Faculty Affairs is delighted to announce the 2023–24 academic year faculty participants for the CU system’s Excellence in Leadership Program (ELP). ELP is a program managed by the CU Employee Services office, with the purpose of providing opportunities for faculty and staff from across the CU system to become more effective leaders. These individuals will play a crucial role in meeting the challenges and advancing the future of our university.

Participants in the Boulder campus ELP will meet monthly during the academic year with senior campus leadership and once a month with the four-campus group. 

“The CU Boulder faculty and staff selected for ELP represent a valuable investment in a precious resource: leadership,” said Provost Russ Moore. “What they learn in ELP will have a multiplier effect on how we serve our students, carry out the academic mission, and continue to transform the CU Boulder campus into an even more successful community.”

Merinda McLure, faculty fellow in the Office of Faculty Affairs, and Merna Jacobsen, associate vice chancellor for organization and employee development and deputy chief human resources officer, serve as Boulder campus liaisons for ELP.

Here are this year’s ELP participants from CU Boulder:

  • Alexia Brunet Marks, Associate Professor, Law School
  • Cindy Thill, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Health and Wellness, Health and Wellness Services within Strategic Resources & Support
  • Ed Van Wesep, Professor, Leeds School of Business
  • Jacqueline Loya, Events and Outreach, Office of the Chancellor
  • Jeff York, Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Operations, Leeds School of Business
  • Jennifer Fluri, Professor and Department Chair, Geography, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Leila Heil, Associate Professor of Music Education, College of Music
  • Lynne Howard, Program Coordinator, Boulder Faculty Assembly
  • Megan Welsh, Associate Professor, University Libraries
  • Peter Hamlington, Associate Professor and Department Chair, Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Science
  • Robyn Fergus, Chief People Officer, Human Resources
  • Samantha Hertenstein, Program Director for Academic Review and Strategic Initiatives, Office of Faculty Affairs
  • Shideh Dashti, Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Research, Geotechnical Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Science