IISAGE Leadership & Professional Development Academy
Communication, leadership, and teamwork were identified by the National Academies as “soft skills” essential for STEM graduates that tend to be overlooked. To address this deficit, IISAGE offers a “Leadership & Professional Development Academy” certificate annually, in development with the UAB Collat School of Business Director of Professional Education, Dr. Cori Miller Perdue. Dr. Perdue’s team trains employees in leadership, communication, and teamwork for various businesses. The purpose of this Academy is to provide a cohesive and comprehensive program that offers development opportunities for graduate students, post-docs, and faculty. The interactive sessions target five strategic competencies: Leadership, Communication, Teamwork & Collaboration, Management, and Entrepreneurship.
Program Overview
This Academy features five interactive workshop sessions that incorporate experiential learning activities, carefully designed to identify, develop, and enhance both leadership and professional skills. Each live-online session lasts approximately two hours, providing time for participants to engage in meaningful discussions, collaborative exercises, and hands-on learning experiences that are directly applicable to their professional growth.
Participants in this academy are selected through a nomination process from the nine IISAGE academic institutions (see here). Once a nomination is accepted, participants are required to complete a registration process to confirm their commitment to the program. Active participation in all five sessions is mandatory, as the sequential nature of the workshops is intended to build upon each previous session, leading to a comprehensive development experience. By fully engaging in the academy, participants will gain valuable insights, practical skills, and a network of peers that will support their ongoing leadership journey.
Upon completing this program, participants will be awarded a certificate.
Nominations
Nomination forms for Spring 2026 will be open Fall 2025
Self nominations are accepted!!!
Registration
Once your nomination has been accepted, you will receive registration instructions via email from the Professional Education Program at the Collat School of Business.
Questions?
For additional program information, please direct your questions to our program manager Jordan Favors.
Jordan Favors
Program Manager – IISAGE
Phone: (205) 975-0170
Email: jfavors7@uab.edu
For additional information on the Collat School of Business Professional Education Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, please visit www.uab.edu/business/home/programs/professional-education
