Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., Chancellor of Troy University, has selected five faculty members to participate in the University’s 2018 Chancellor’s Fellows Program.

The fellows were nominated by TROY deans, directors or vice chancellors. Selected were: Victoria Lee Averett, chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance and coordinator of P-12 theatre education; Dr. Courtney Baggett, an assistant professor in the Department of Risk and Data Analytics in the Sorrell College of Business; Dr. Stephanie Lewis, an associate professor in the School of Nursing; Dr. Leora Waldner, associate dean for strategic innovation in the College of Arts and Sciences; and, Dr. Jason Wingate, chair of the Department of Leadership Development and Professional Studies in the College of Education.

The program, directed by Dr. John Kline, distinguished professor of leadership at Troy University, spans the spring and summer academic semesters and enables Fellows to take part in briefings and meetings with senior University officials, while also having the opportunity to meet with business leaders and state government officials.

“The Chancellor’s Faculty and Staff Fellowship Program enables qualified full-time faculty or staff to develop increased knowledge and understanding of the programs and operations of Troy University; furthermore, the fellows receive executive leadership, management and communication skills training,” said Dr. Kline. “Participants are selected based on their leadership potential and service to the University.”

During their tenure, Fellows undertake and complete a study of significance and importance to the University. This class will focus on the project Leadership Across the Curriculum (LATC).

Averett received undergraduate and graduate degrees in theatre and music education from Troy University and holds the Master of Fine Arts in playwriting from Georgia College & State University. She has earned regional and national honors for her work in theatre, dance and music productions.

Dr. Baggett, who joined the TROY faculty in 2017, received her Ph.D. in Business Administration from Florida State University, and previously served as an invited speaker on coastal property insurance markets for The National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research, as well as an invited moderator on recruitment strategies to Insurance Business Magazine.

Dr. Lewis earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Purdue University and a Ph.D. in nursing education from University of Tennessee Knoxville. She is a Registered Nurse, a Certified Nurse Educator, and a site visitor for the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). Dr. Waldner received her Ph.D. in city and regional planning from the University of California at Berkeley after serving as a regional and state policy analyst for more than a decade. As an early pioneer in eService-Learning, she visits universities across the country to exchange ideas and host pro-bono workshops about online teaching excellence and innovation in the online realm.

Dr. Wingate received his bachelor’s degree in biology and health education from TROY and his Master of Education in educational leadership from Auburn University-Montgomery. He earned his Ph.D. in administration of elementary and secondary education from Auburn University in 2010.