Grand Valley State University faculty and staff gathered at the Laker Club on Feb. 1 to hear the first of a series of speeches given by various faculty members on their leadership experiences. The Laker Club is a faculty-only lounge where colleagues can collaborate and recharge, located in The Commons next to Mackinac Hall.

Jennifer Drake, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at GVSU, offered reflections on her career and various transformative experiences in her life. She spoke about her time as a student at Brown University, backpacking through Southeast Asia and how her position at GVSU impacted her leadership style.

“Good leaders listen, because they are curious and love learning and are open to surprises, because that’s what learning brings. Leadership is collective, because leadership is all of us,” Drake said. “Good leaders know that leadership is a practice. A set of thoughtful and principled actions and well-chosen words.”

After graduating from Brown University, Drake obtained her M.A. and Ph.D. in English from the State University of New York at Binghamton. Throughout her academic journey, she has distinguished herself through various contributions to the field. She achieved the rank of Professor in the English Department at the University of Indianapolis, has played pivotal roles serving as the Founding Director of the Woodrow Wilson Indiana Teaching Fellowship Program and later became Dean of the Shaheen College of Arts and Sciences at UIndy. 

Additionally, Drake said she is committed to cultivating a nurturing and inclusive educational atmosphere.

“I fell in love with helping first-gen students find their voices as writers,” said Drake.

A proponent of lifelong learning, Drake was recognized as a Fellow of the Academy for Innovative Higher Education Leadership at Arizona State University and Georgetown University in 2019-2020. Additionally, she participated in the Seminar on Leadership of the Faculty: A COACHE Program at the Harvard Institutes for Higher Education in 2019. Drake’s scholarly contributions reflect her engagement with feminist perspectives and a commitment to advancing discussions on gender issues. 

“I was a part of a multidisciplinary team at Indiana State University that created and team-taught the first learning communities. I co-directed the Struggling Women’s Studies Program, and we led it to stability and growth,” said Drake. 

Drake’s experiences as a faculty member at large schools and small schools have infused her understanding of what makes a university an effective arbiter of skill and career development.

“We are a big school with a small school feel,” said Drake. “Comparatively, Grand Valley has a lot of assets, a lot of resources, a lot of stability.”

In the coming weeks, the Laker Club will host additional leadership experiences featuring GVSU Dean of Health Professions Ning “Jackie” Zhang, GVSU Director of Athletics Keri Becker, and GVSU Football Head Coach Scott Wooster.