Dr. Rebecca Bourgault, Assistant Professor in EGGS, was selected to participate in this year’s Project Kaleidoscope STEM Leadership Institute (PKAL SLI) from the American Association of Colleges & Universities. In addition to teaching courses in soil and environmental sciences, Dr. Bourgault serves as Stephen J. Jones Professional U Faculty Fellow for the College of Science and Technology. Taking on this new role during a time of transition for the University, she sees this challenge as an opportunity to strengthen the Professional U program for COST, and to develop her own leadership style.
The PKAL SLI was truly an eye-opening and transformative
experience for Dr. Bourgault. The focus of the Institute was on reforming STEM
education to better serve the needs of a diverse society, in order to create a
more inclusive, equitable, and socially just system of higher education. The
tools, experiences, and deep discussions offered by the program helped her
identify her own strengths and weaknesses, and opportunities for growth and
reflection in her professional career and life as a whole.
The most significant takeaways for Dr. Bourgault included
the development of her personal “why” as Jones Fellow – that is, to help students
of all backgrounds get hired to well-paying, rewarding STEM careers, and to
help change society’s stereotypical view of what a scientist looks like.
Another significant realization was learning to prioritize the most important
things in life so as not to get overwhelmed by all the less important things.
Finally, Dr. Bourgault was matched with a mentor and two colleagues, with whom
she developed an instant connection and plans to meet with regularly.
Dr. Bourgault highly recommends any COST faculty member willing to embrace change, personal reflection, and DEIJ to participate in the PKAL SLI in the future.
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