Diane Lyden Murphy
Forty-eight emerging leaders from across Syracuse University were honored on April 12 as the Women in Leadership (WiL) initiative celebrated its two cohorts for the 2023-24 academic year. The cohorts were the second and third to complete the experience, which fosters professional and personal development through lectures from University and community leaders and national experts, experiential learning, and engagement opportunities.
As part of the celebration, Chancellor Kent Syverud announced the WiL will now be referred to as the Diane Lyden Murphy Women in Leadership Program. The new name recognizes Dean Emerita Murphy’s 45 years of service and leadership and honors her as a pioneer of academic achievements and outstanding advocacy for women on campus. In her remarks, Murphy encouraged the cohort members to “lead collectively, learn from the community on and off campus and to do work you love.”
“Dr. Murphy changed the game for many throughout her career at Syracuse University,” says Candace Campbell Jackson, senior vice president and chief of staff to the Chancellor and founder of WiL. “Not only is she an exemplary faculty member and administrator, but she is also a champion of opportunity and access for all women at Syracuse University. Dr. Murphy has paved the way for so many women to open new doors and break through glass ceilings.”
Those opportunities were not lost on the cohort graduates who reflected on their own experiences at Syracuse and as part of WiL, which was founded in 2018 to catalyze the personal and collective advancement of women on campus.
Chancellor Kent Syverud
Maithreyee Dubé, who leads enrollment services at the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), a member of Cohort 2, spoke to the power of the cross-campus connections she has developed—both inside and outside the structured cohort experiences. Dubé says the experience had profound impact on her.
“I learned so much throughout the experience, but especially appreciated the opportunity to engage with fellow cohort members, explore complex questions around bias and discover the importance of giving trust to earn trust,” says Dubé. “Hearing from colleagues across the University has allowed me to grow as a leader and positioned me to communicate with my team about how our daily work influences the bigger picture and advances the strategic priorities.”
Likewise, Cohort 2’s Laura Machia, associate professor of psychology, spoke to the power of “making a space to find a network that’s specifically about leading and providing a cross-functional group of role models for different types of leadership and strengths.” She added that the cohort experience helped her to “be more intentional about what I say yes to, which resources I will need when I say yes to opportunities and to think critically about when I take on a new role, what I need to be successful.”
Beverly Kirk, a Cohort 3 member, says getting to know others across the cohort and beyond equipped her to be able to advocate for students across campuses and, in her case, across cities as she serves as the director of Washington Programs with the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in Washington, D.C. After meeting an School of Information Studies student at an immersion program in D.C., she connected with a fellow cohort member to collaborate in supporting the student’s participation in the Newhouse D.C. semester away program.
Marcelle Haddix
“Getting to know so many women across Syracuse as part of this experience will allow me to partner with others to be more successful and innovative in my work, ultimately opening up more opportunities to support students,” Kirk says.
WIL’s cohort experience, a highly competitive program, was cofounded by Jackson; Dara Royer, senior vice president and chief marketing officer; and Marcelle Haddix, associate provost for strategic initiatives. The cohorts are intentionally curated to include and promote women from across the University of diverse backgrounds, career experiences and perspectives who are at the emerging, mid and senior levels of their careers and create a cross-functional, inclusive leadership community.
For more information about the Women in Leadership, please visit its webpage.
About the Women in Leadership Initiative
Establishing Syracuse University as a pacesetter in cultivating women leaders. Women in Leadership (WiL) supports professional development for women on campus through education, awareness and mentorship.
