Lead with Confidence and Inspire with Innovation

Acquiring leadership skills and entrepreneurial acumen is a dynamic and rewarding journey that demands dedication and perseverance. The Graduate College and our partners can help you cultivate your leadership abilities, foster innovative thinking, and launch successful ventures.

Graduate College Emerging Leadership Academy (GC-ELA)

    Our graduate students and postdoctoral scholars are developing extremely strong expertise in their disciplines. Yet the challenges our society is facing require more than just expertise, these challenges require a new generation of leaders who can build collaborations, work across disciplines, and forge stronger solutions from diverse perspectives. The Graduate College Emerging Leadership Academy (GC-ELA) is committed to developing these skills in our most promising graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. 

    GC-ELA focuses on: leadership research, theory, and practice; ethics; collaboration and teamwork; effects of gender and diversity issues on work teams; and communication. The program culminates in a semester-long mentoring experience for each participant with a current Iowa State leader.

    Each academic year we gather a cohort of approximately 20 young leaders. We are seeking leaders with broad career aspirations in industry, government, NGO, entrepreneurship, and academia.

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      Recruitment of the 2024-2024 cohort is complete. The 2025-2026 cohort will be recruited in Spring 2025.

      We invite faculty, department chairs, and Directors of Graduate Education (DOGEs) to encourage graduate students or postdoctoral scholars in any discipline to participate. Upon acceptance into the GC-ELA, their major professor or PI, graduate program, or home department or will need to provide a worktag to cover the program's $600 costs.

      PD@ISU is the application portal for GC-ELA. Applicants should first register here, then apply here.

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      NEW: Support for students in the arts, design, or the humanities

      We’re pleased to announce that the Graduate College in partnership with ISU’s Center for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities will cover the total cost of participation in the GC-ELA ($600) for up to 5 graduate students enrolled in programs in the arts, design, or the humanities at ISU. Please contact Dr. Matthew Sivils (sivils@iastate.edu) for information about the worktag required for application.

    The Graduate College’s Emerging Leaders Academy (GC-ELA) was a great venue to meet other graduate students-leaders across the ISU campus, learn from current campus leadership, and engage in leadership activities and discussions. GC-ELA helped us develop the skills to build interdisciplinary collaborations and forge solutions from a diverse, equitable, and inclusive perspective.

    Past Participant

    More Testimonials

    "In GC-ELA, I have engaged in a different type of learning than any experienced as an academic thus far. In GC-ELA, I've learned about how I lead and interact with people. The meetings prompted self-reflection and thought-provoking discussions and activities regarding leadership styles. I already feel like a more well-rounded individual, both professionally and personally."

    "I started this program thinking I have at least a basic idea about what leadership means. During the short period of time I was involved in GC-ELA proved how little I actually knew about being a true leader, and what leadership really means. I have learned more about myself, my leadership style, what strengths I bring in to a team environment, what are my weakness, how to overcome them. This program changed the way I view things in general. I learned about team building, communication, and the importance of being a culturally competent leader in a society which is vastly diverse. It was a delight to hear from the experts from different fields how they tackle problems, what makes them more successful, and what qualities we need to cultivate as future leaders."

    ISU Innovation Corps (I-Corps)

      The Graduate College promotes the ISU I-Corps program in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President for Research and the Office of Economic Development and Industry Relations.

      I-Corps is a National Science Foundation-funded program designed to increase the impact of federally funded research though training academic scientists and engineers to extend their focus beyond the laboratory and to understand the potential value of their technology and inventions, by teaching them how to assess the market opportunity for new technology and commercial potential. This program provides a set of skills and entrepreneurial knowledge that can be applied to any career path. 

      Iowa State University is a member of the Great Lakes Region I-Corps Hub. ISU’s local I-Corps provide working knowledge of how to think about innovation ideas from a business and customer perspective, as well as how to properly conduct customer discovery interviews--the first step in any commercialization process. Regional I-Corps are also available to help explore the commercial viability of technology-based innovation ideas. 

      Teams that complete the local or regional I-Corps may become eligible to participate in the prestigious National I-Corps Teams program. 

      Graduate students and postdocs can participate as entrepreneurial lead.

      I-Corps Entrepreneurial Student Leads

      StudentCohortDisciplineInnovation
      Jeremy Rurup Spring 2024Mechanical EngineeringAdvancements in aerosol jet printing hardware and software will enable additive manufacturing of electronic devices onto large or high-curvature 3D objects.
      Emily Worrall Spring 2024ArchitectureThe Card Game, an innovative way of introducing the next generation to a future of sustainable economic development, cooperation, and fun.
      Muhammad Hanif Lashari and Mayyda MukhtarFall 2023Electrical & Computer EngineeringThe startup will create a mobile app-based e-commerce platform that connects sellers, riders, and customers for local trade.
      Oluwatuyi OlowoyeyeSummer 2023Agricultural & Biosystems EngineeringInnovative technologies will use a new mobile app or web interface to directly connect regenerative farmers to consumers.
      Li (Lily) JiangSummer 2023Apparel, Events, and Hospitality ManagementSound visualization and 3D virtual fitting techniques will involve customers in the apparel design process.
      Bahar Hashemian EsfahaniSpring 2023Apparel, Events, and Hospitality ManagementA unique anchoring system will be developed for upper limb body-powered prosthetic harness.
      Katherine WildSpring 2023Mechanical EngineeringNew energy cycle solutions will be developed.

      Leadership Skills

        Develop fundamental skills vital for any leader, no matter the academic institution, industry, or company.

        Skills for leading others: People management, task delegation, coaching ability, advocacy, interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, inclusiveness.

        Skills for leading organization: Project planning and management, social intelligence, problem-solving, decision-making, conflict management, change management, innovation, entrepreneurship.

        Skills for leading self: Self-management, domain expertise, personal professional development, agility, courage, organizational citizenship behavior.