Over the next 12 months, several University of Iowa faculty members will work to increase mentorship opportunities, develop tools on how to excel in leadership roles, and implement other initiatives to support the 2022-2027 Strategic Plan.
The Office of the Provost has selected five faculty fellows for fiscal year 2025 to work on various faculty and student success projects related to the strategic plan.
"Our faculty's expertise and dedication are at the core of what drives our university forward," says Lois Geist, associate provost for faculty. "These fellows will play a pivotal role in ensuring that we continue to innovate and excel in our strategic goals, making Iowa a more dynamic and supportive environment for faculty, staff, and students."
Tanya Uden-Holman, associate provost for undergraduate education, emphasized the importance of collaboration on these initiatives.
"The work these faculty fellows are undertaking is a testament to the collaborative spirit that defines our campus,” Uden-Holman says. “Their efforts will not only advance our strategic priorities, but also enhance the educational experience for all our students."
Read more about this year’s faculty fellows and the projects they will be leading.
Lori Adams, Provost Faculty Fellow
Lori Adams, professor of instruction in the Department of Biology and director of the Iowa Sciences Academy, will serve as a provost faculty fellow. In her role, Adams will enhance faculty and student success initiatives, such as developing a Teaching Portfolio Tool Kit and collaborating on projects to enhance support and incentives for teaching excellence. She also will develop a mentoring framework for faculty and increase formal mentor training opportunities on campus.
Adams joined Iowa as a faculty member in 2009. She directs several undergraduate research programs and is the instructor-designer for several student scientist development courses. Adams’ work focuses on enhancing undergraduate biology education through research experience opportunities, mentoring, and scientific teaching. Adams has also spent more than a decade championing the importance of mentorship in academia for students, staff, and faculty.
Amber Brian, Mellon Faculty Fellow
Amber Brian, associate professor and chair of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, will serve as a Mellon Faculty Fellow through the Big Ten Academic Alliance Academic Leadership Program. She will develop a tool kit for departmental executive officers (DEOs) that outlines best practices, training, and resources to excel in their leadership roles. This will mark her second year as a Big Ten Academic Alliance Mellon Fellow, as she spent last year in the alliance’s Academic Leadership Program.
Brian started as a faculty member at the UI in 2008 and teaches topics related to Latin American literature and history. Her research interests include colonialism, historiography, Indigenous intellectual history, and translation studies.
Jennifer Haylett, Faculty Fellow for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
Jennifer Haylett, associate professor of instruction and director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Sociology and Criminology, will be the faculty fellow for excellence in teaching and learning. Haylett will focus on enhancing support, incentives, and structures that facilitate teaching excellence and student learning. Specifically, she will support the implementation of the Teaching Assessment Framework, based on best practices at peer institutions.
Haylett became a faculty member at the UI in 2015, teaching a wide range of courses and mentoring students throughout their internships, teaching practicum, honors theses, and research experiences. Haylett is the director of the sociology internship program and is the Department of Sociology honors program coordinator. Last fall, she received the award for Outstanding First-Generation Student Advocacy, highlighting the positive differences she has made in supporting first-generation student success.
Jodie Plumert, Provost Faculty Fellow for Faculty Development
Jodie Plumert, professor and Russell B. and Florence D. Day Chair in Liberal Arts and Sciences in the Department of Psychological and Brain Studies, is the provost faculty fellow for faculty development. Plumert will work on developing strategies and programming to support and maintain faculty resiliency and success, including finding more opportunities for faculty development and supporting DEOs in their roles.
Plumert started as a faculty member at the UI in 1990. Her research interests include risk taking, perceptual-motor development, unintentional childhood injuries, parent-child communication, and development of spatial memory and communication. Plumert has also been the departmental executive officer of the UI Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and acting DEO in the Department of Biology.
Rachel Young, Engaged Teaching and Scholarship Faculty Fellow
Rachel Young, associate professor and director of undergraduate studies in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, is the engaged teaching and scholarship faculty fellow. Young will work on strategies to support the development of community-engaged teaching and scholarship, which connects faculty and students with community partners through coursework and research to address issues of importance to communities across Iowa and beyond. She will develop guidance documents to assess the work of individuals engaged in community-based teaching and scholarship, as well as find ways to offer additional community engagement training and support for faculty and students.
Young joined the UI faculty in 2013. Her research explores the effects of media on health, as well as how adolescents and parents manage digital media use to protect against health risks and encourage benefits. Her community-engaged teaching has won several awards, including the 2023 Scripps-Howard Teacher of the Year Award.