Faculty Feed

Are you curious about how to process the racism tensions that have resurfaced so violently this past two years? Join us as we talk with Dr. Teresa Reed, Dean of the School of Music at the University of Louisville, and author of the 2021 book, You’re Not Likely to be a Racist: Answers for Curious White People.  She weaves her personal experience and perspective on how to be compassionate while providing a safe space to discuss and explore this tension.

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This week we talk with Dr. Chris Seals, who has recently joined the University of Louisville School of Medicine as an Assistant Dean for Faculty Affairs and Advancement. We discuss his new role, which will focus on recruiting and retaining minoritized faculty at the School of Medicine. Chris describes the challenges and opportunities for this charge and how his previous work has prepared him to come home to Kentucky for his new role. Learn more about Chris’s research here.

Enduring learning is hard. One of the key things we can do as faculty is to help our learners to learn more effectively, including the importance of strategic questioning, a growth mindset, and the power of passion and perseverance as it relates to learning. Join us as the faculty development team interviews Dr. Ashley Isles, Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Geriatric Medicine about study strategies, the role of a growth mindset, and grit in learning for enduring understanding, not just passing a test. For more, read Ashley's article on lessons in learning, Dr. Rabalais' article on nurturing a growth mindset, and check out our graduate programs in Health Professions Education. 

Compassionate leadership is now more important than ever in healthcare as we have weathered a two-year-long pandemic. Join us as Wade Mitzel, Chief Operating Officer for the University of Louisville Physicians group, tells a personal story of how he was once the recipient of compassionate leadership at a critical time during his service as a paramedic. That event shaped how he is now working as COO to build trust, compassion, stability, and hope for employees throughout this large organization. You won’t want to miss this one. To learn more read this 2020 blog post about Compassionate Leadership. If you have questions or comments please email us at [email protected]

Could our work culture affect our health? This week we talk again with Dr. Brad Shuck, Professor of Human Resources and Organizational Development and Co-Founder of OrgVitals, a culture management company for workplaces. We discuss his proposed model of work determinants of health, which are employment-related conditions that influence health and risk. Brad encourages us to be mindful of our work stress and consider how leading with compassion creates more supportive work cultures. Learn more about Brad’s work here.

Did you know that faculty leadership training can improve your professional and personal skills while you help drive organizational change? Our next Leadership and Innovation in Academics Matter (LIAM) cohort starts September 2022. Listen in as we interview two LIAM graduates, Drs. Hugh Shoff (Emergency Medicine) and Russ Farmer (Surgery), as they describe why they signed up and how they put lessons from LIAM into practice. We also discuss the value of completing leadership training locally with a cohort of colleagues from your own institution. UofL Health Sciences Center faculty can learn more and apply for LIAM here. 

In this episode of Faculty Feed, we’re joined by Dr. Marie Brown, the Interim Associate Provost for Teaching and Innovation from the Delphi Center at the University of Louisville. We discuss the annual Celebration of Teaching and Learning, which serves as an opportunity to honor our institution’s education mission while learning from our peers. Catch some of the highlights from this year’s conference and access the Celebration materials here: https://louisville.edu/delphi/programs/celebration/celebration  To contact Faculty Feed with questions or comments please email us at [email protected]. 

If you are curious about how to enhance your own or your staff’s success at work, you won’t want to miss this podcast as we interview Brian Buford, Director of the University of Louisville’s Employee Success Center, and how he uses Gallup’s Strengths Finder assessment to assure that each employee is able to bring their very best gifts and talents to their work. Learn what we can do to help each other learn about their strengths and how mentorship plays a critical role in professional development. Learn more about the UofL Employee Success Center (https://louisville.edu/employeesuccess) and Gallups Strength Finder. 

Why does it take courage to lead with compassion? This week we talk with Dr. Brad Shuck, Professor of Human Resources and Organizational Development and Co-Founder of OrgVitals, a culture management company for workplaces. We discuss his research, which shows that leaders who demonstrate compassionate behaviors like dignity, empathy, and accountability improve employee engagement and performance. Brad challenges us to “lead above the line” and considers how we can combat compassion fatigue. Learn more about Brad’s research and access a recent article in Ed Surge where Brad was interviewed about faculty engagement. 

We are often faced with a circumstance that requires us to engage in a difficult conversation with someone. It may be at work addressing a behavioral or job performance issue with a faculty or staff member, or it may be at home with your spouse or teenager. Difficult conversations like these are often delayed (hoping the problem will get better on its own) or avoided completely. Listen to our interview with Drs. Gale Rhodes and Mary Ashlock from the University of Louisville as they provide some tools to help you to prepare for and engage in difficult conversations to achieve productive outcomes. Check out this module on difficult conversations.