By Bryant Welbourne

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Sept. 25, 2013) ― Forty-nine faculty and administrators from Southeastern Conference universities, including four from the University of Kentucky, have been selected as 2013-14 SEC Academic Leadership Development Program fellows, the SEC announced Tuesday.

The SEC Academic Leadership Development Program (ALDP) is a professional development program that seeks to identify, prepare and advance academic leaders for roles within SEC institutions and beyond.

The UK representatives who were chosen are:

• Nancy C. Jones, chair, Department of Theatre in the College of Fine Arts;

• Douglass S. Kalika, chair, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering in the College of Engineering;

• Sue Roberts, professor, Department of Geography in the College of Arts and Sciences; and

• Deirdre A. Scaggs, associate dean, Special Collections in UK Libraries.

The ALDP has two components: a university-level development program designed by each institution for its own participants and two, three-day, SEC-wide workshops held on specified campuses for all program participants.

This year’s workshops will be held Oct. 14-16 at the University of Georgia in Athens, and Feb. 5-7, 2014, at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.

“The individuals selected by their SEC universities to participate in the SEC Academic Leadership Development Program represent the future of higher education administration,” said Torie Johnson, SECU Executive Director. “The leadership skills they already possess are sure to be enhanced by the SEC ALDP experience.”

Using its SECU academic initiative, the SEC sponsors, supports and promotes collaborative higher education programs and activities involving administrators, faculty and students at its member universities.

The SEC ALDP, established in 2008, fosters academic leadership among SEC faculty by allowing them the unique opportunity to address the challenges of academic administration at major research universities.

In addition to UK's faculty and administrators, Academic Leadership Development Program fellows include:

• Kim Bissell, University of Alabama, Associate Dean, College of Communication & Information Sciences
• Kari Frederickson, University of Alabama, Department Chair, History
• Tim A. Haskew, University of Alabama, Department Head, Electrical & Computer Engineering
• Philo A. Hutcheson, University of Alabama, Department Chair, Educational Leadership, Policy &Technology Studies
• Yvette Murphy-Erby, University of Arkansas, Director, School of Social Work
• Michael T. Kidd, University of Arkansas, Department Head, Poultry Science
• Kate Mamiseishvili, University of Arkansas, Interim Department Head, Rehabilitation, Human Resources & Communication Disorders
• Rajiv Sabherwal, University of Arkansas, Department Chair, Information Systems
• Jennifer Wood Adams, Auburn University, Director, School of Communication & Journalism
• Sushil H. Bhavnani, Auburn University, Program Chair, Mechanical Engineering
• Richard Burt, Auburn University, Head, McWhorter School of Building Science
• Christopher M. Janelle, University of Florida, Interim Associate Dean, College of Health & Human Performance
• Spiro K. Kiousis, University of Florida, Executive Associate Dean, College of Journalism & Communications
• Rowan Milner, University of Florida, Department Chair, Small Animal Clinical Sciences
• Julian A. Cook, III, University of Georgia, Professor, School of Law
• Tracie Costantino, University of Georgia, Co-Chair, Art Education Program
• Sarah F. Covert, University of Georgia, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Sciences
• Tom Reichert, University of Georgia, Department Head, Advertising & Public Relations
• Stephen David Beck, Louisiana State University, Associate Dean, College of Music & Dramatic Arts
• William A. Clark, Louisiana State University, Department Chair, Political Science
• Roland W. Mitchell, Louisiana State University, Associate Director, School of Education
• William W. Berry, III, University of Mississippi, Assistant Professor, School of Law
• John C. Garner, III, University of Mississippi, Interim Department Chair, Health, Exercise Science & Recreation Management
• Ethel Young-Minor, University of Mississippi, Associate Professor, College of Liberal Arts
• Charlotte Fant Pegues, University of Mississippi, Assistant Provost, Department of Leadership & Counselor Education
• Jeralynn S. Cossman, Mississippi State University, Department Head, Sociology
• Jason E. Lueg, Mississippi State University, Department Head, Marketing, Quantitative Analysis & Business Law
• J. Mike Phillips, Mississippi State University, Department Head, Plant & Soil Sciences
• Julia Porter, Mississippi State University, Division Head, Education
• Stephen P. Ferris, University of Missouri, Senior Associate Dean, College of Business
• Jana M. Hawley, University of Missouri, Department Chair, Textile & Apparel Management
• Sandy Rikoon, University of Missouri, Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Studies, College of Human Environmental Sciences
• Gregory E. Triplett, Jr., University of Missouri, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Electrical & Computer Engineering
• William D. Anderson, III, University of South Carolina, Associate Dean, School of Medicine
• Cynthia J. Davis, University of South Carolina, Graduate Director, English Language & Literature
• Valinda W. Littlefield, University of South Carolina, Department Director, African-American Studies
• Joseph Rackers, University of South Carolina, Program Director, School of Music
• Susan M. Benner, University of Tennessee, Associate Dean, College of Education, Health & Human Sciences
• Joanne M. Hall, University of Tennessee, Professor, College of Nursing
• Veerle Keppens, University of Tennessee, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, College of Engineering
• Annette L. Ranft, University of Tennessee, Associate Dean, College of Business Administration
• George Cunningham, Texas A&M University, Associate Dean, College of Education & Human Development
• Sumana Datta, Texas A&M University, Executive Director, Honors & Undergraduate Research
• Rosana G. Moreira, Texas A&M University, Assistant Department Head, Biological & Agricultural Engineering
• John N. Stallone, Texas A&M University, Acting Department Head, Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology