Day: August 19, 2022

Aurenice Oliveira Named ELATES Fellow in National Leadership Program

Aurenice Oliveira, Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Michigan Tech, has been selected for the Class of 2022-2023 of Drexel University’s Executive Leadership in Academic Technology, Engineering and Science (ELATES) program. The ELATES program is a national leadership development program designed to promote women in academic STEM fields, and faculty allies of all genders, into institutional leadership roles. Oliveira is also a recipient of the first ASEE ELATES fellow scholarship covering program costs and travel expenses. 

The Class of 2022-2023 ELATES Fellows is a prestigious cohort of 30 faculty members from over 25 institutions of higher education across the U.S. and Canada. The ELATES Fellows include experts in engineering, mathematics, and science, all of whom have significant administrative experience on top of their scholarly accomplishments. Oliveira was nominated by the Dean of the College of Engineering Janet Callahan and former ECE Interim Chair Glen Archer, for this intensive, yearlong program, which includes personal and leadership development work as well as series of on-site work in the Philadelphia area.

Oliveira’s research interests focus on hybrid communications and networking including connected and autonomous vehicles communications.  She is currently the IEEE chair for Northeastern Wisconsin Region 4 and recently served as the chair of the NSF ADVANCE Advocates and Allies Advisory Board (A3B) and as Equity (DEIS) Advisor for Michigan Tech Faculty and Chairs Search Teams. She is currently the faculty advisor for two student organizations on campus: The IEEE Student Chapter and Eta Kappa Nu (HKN) Honor Society. Oliveira will be also serving as Michigan Tech’s Vice President for Research Faculty Fellow for this coming academic year in the areas of Research Development and Research Integrity.

“I am excited to participate in a program focused on training an amazing group of women to become leaders in academic STEM fields. I would like to be able to bridge people and ideas as well as to tap into our strengths to create/encourage growth in my department and at Michigan Tech”.

Facilitated by leaders in the fields of STEM research and leadership development, the ELATES curriculum is focused on increasing Fellows’ personal and professional leadership effectiveness, from the ability to lead and manage change initiatives within institutions, to the use of strategic finance and resource management to enhance organizational missions. Pairing online instruction and discussion with intensive, in-person seminar sessions, the program encourages Fellows to apply what they’ve learned at their home institutions. Ultimately, it aims to create a network of exceptional faculty who bring broad organizational perspectives and deep personal capacity to the institutions and societies hey serve.

Sharon Walker, PhD, executive director of the ELATES program and dean of Drexel University’s College of Engineering, shares her excitement for welcoming the newest class of Fellows.

“I am thrilled to welcome this talented new cohort of ELATES fellows as they join the community of distinguished alumnae who are committed to lifelong learning and leadership development.  I am excited to see what impact they will not only have this year on their home campuses, but more broadly to the higher education STEM community in the future.”

To learn more about ELATES at Drexel, visit ELATES online at Drexel.edu/ELATES.