Lessons in leadership: How graduate student leadership opportunities prepare future faculty members

Leadership opportunities are advertised to graduate students as “C.V. Builders”, but the skills gained from these positions can extend greatly beyond just adding fluff to your already extensive list of qualifications. Graduate students striving to become faculty members at a university following their education should participate in these leadership opportunities as they provide the opportunity to gain valuable skills and experience that will help them be excellent faculty members. I will talk about my experiences serving as the president of the department sponsored student organization, Popenoe Entomology Club (PEC), and the valuable insight I gained on what it means to be a faculty member. Mentorship, conflict resolution, public speaking, outreach, community relations, and budgeting are all skills critical to faculty members as they teach students in the classroom, run their labs and mentor graduate students, and perform extension duties with stakeholders and the public. These are also the skills that I exercised often in my role as president. I viewed my student organization as my classroom, allowing me to learn and practice new skills in a lower stakes environment than a tenure track faculty position. While each organization’s leadership opportunities are different, and others may not have all the exact opportunities afforded to me through PEC, I believe that every opportunity is what you make of it. Students who are intentional with their leadership positions can emerge prepared for their future as a faculty member.