ECU Women Participate in UNC Bridges Program
GREENVILLE (September 18, 2007) — Five faculty and staff members from East Carolina University will participate in BRIDGES XV, a statewide program for women in higher education beginning this month.
Designed to help women identify, understand and move into leadership roles, the annual UNC-wide program offers a series of workshops in Chapel Hill.
The five women representing ECU are: Terry Atkinson, professor of reading education in the College of Education; Brenda Eastman, professor of social work in the College of Human Ecology; Gloria Frelix, MD, clinical professor of radiation oncology in the Brody School of Medicine; Shanan Gibson, professor of marketing in the College of Business; and Michelle Lieberman, director of ECU's Center for Off-Campus and Community Living in Student Life.
ECU Chancellor Steve Ballard said, “It is important to encourage all members of the ECU community to develop their full leadership potential. By representing East Carolina in this distinguished program, these women send a clear message of their intent to prepare for current and future leadership positions. The insights they gain will prove invaluable.”
The program, which is sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is held for four weekends from Sept. 14 to Nov. 17. Since its inception in 1993, more than 400 women have completed the program from public and private universities across North Carolina.
The theme for this year’s program is “Transformational Leadership.” The program focuses on developing insights into leadership, acquiring an understanding of the many facets of colleges and universities and refining cross-cultural communication skills.
This year the program will emphasize ways to help North Carolina women in higher education claim, strengthen and exercise leadership capacities.
Other topics that will be addressed are: financial and legal issues, human resources and risk management and the crucial role of fundraising for colleges and universities. Participants will create an individual professional plan and an action plan for transformational change.
###
