Sep 19, 2022

Lazar, Weyrich selected as inaugural Huck Leadership Fellows

Designed to be an opportunity for professional development and exposure to senior leadership, the new Huck Leadership Fellows Program is being piloted in the 2022-23 academic year, and will run for each academic year thereafter.

Nicole Lazar (left), and Laura Weyrich
Nicole Lazar (left), and Laura Weyrich

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences has launched a new initiative for faculty members seeking to hone their leadership skills. Designed to be an opportunity for professional development and exposure to senior leadership within the interdisciplinary research unit, the new Huck Leadership Fellows Program is being piloted in the 2022-23 academic year, and will run for each academic year thereafter.  

“It’s really important that we continuously invest time and energy in our rising faculty leaders and give them opportunities to bring their energy, passion and ideas to the forefront,” said Andrew Read, director of the Huck Institutes. 

Two candidates for the 2022-23 academic year were selected as the first cohort of Huck Leadership Fellows:

• Nicole Lazar, Professor of Statistics, is using her Fellowship appointment to head up the exploration of Open Science initiatives among Huck’s faculty and graduate student body.

• Laura Weyrich, Associate Professor of Anthropology, is initiating new diversity, equity and inclusion activities and programming at Huck in her role as Leadership Fellow. 

Both Lazar and Weyrich will serve a one-year term, with one or two new Fellows to step into the role in July, 2023. 

"I'm excited to expand what the Huck can offer for its faculty and students and to help make Huck a more inclusive environment for all," said Weyrich.

Lazar added, "I look forward to working with Huck faculty and graduate students to deepen our understanding of Open Science principles and practices, and helping to make research more reproducible and transparent."

“It’s folks like these who will be running things in the future,” noted Read. “If we care about that future – and we do ­– it’s critical that we help them prepare for that now.”

For more information about the Huck Leadership Fellows program, visit: https://www.huck.psu.edu/about/leadership/huck-leadership-fellows