Friday, January 10, 2020

Ashley Wells, assistant dean for community engagement, and Jennie Jackson ’19M, business service coordinator for UNCW’s Research and Innovation Center, have been selected to participate in WILMA’s 2020 Leadership Institute. The institute is an intensive nine-month program designed to assist high-potential women in the community further their leadership roles, learning ways to negotiate, communicate and motivate while leveraging their existing strengths. 
 
The institute’s 2020 cohort of women come from a variety of professional backgrounds, and over the next nine months, they will learn from experts and each other on how to enhance their leadership skills. The initiative strives to cultivate more local women leaders in nonprofits, businesses, government agencies and boards of directors.

Jackson believes that the institute will help her to grow as a professional, and looks forward to the participants sharing their ideas, knowledge, skills and experiences with one another. “I plan to apply the tools obtained through the institute to better communicate with others and build strong collaborations across campus,” she said.

Jackson provides business service support for the Research and Innovation Center, which includes the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Compliance, Research Integrity Office, Office for Innovation and Commercialization, Institute for Interdisciplinary Identity Sciences, MARBIONC, and the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Jackson graduated from UNCW with an M.B.A. in December 2019. 

Wells received a bachelor’s degree in political science; master’s of public health in health promotion and behavior; and a Ph.D. in adult learning, leadership and organizational development from the University of Georgia. She joined UNCW two years ago as the assistant dean for community engagement and is also a part-time instructor in the School of Health and Applied Human Sciences.

Promoting an inclusive culture is a key objective of the university’s Strategic Plan. As Wells said: “I believe it is important to help all people reach their full potential in life. Women encouraging and supporting women in reaching their leadership goals is especially important for everyone as it challenges and addresses the gender leadership gap we have across many industries.”

-- Christina Schechtman

#ENGAGEMENT

#RESEARCH

#CHHS