Dear Walden Community,
Being interim president of my alma mater brings daily reminders of why I am proud to call Walden “my university.” This magazine is one of them, because it shares so many inspiring stories from our diverse alumni, students, and faculty.
This issue introduces you to our vice provosts in the “Meet the Leadership” section. They offer hard-earned advice that is valuable for anyone who aspires to excel in leadership. Leadership is a focus in many of our programs and courses—in education, nursing, business, and psychology to name a few—because we know that when you are empowered with the knowledge to make a difference, you’ll want to lead others toward your shared goals.
We have a fun lesson in leadership from Dr. Benjamin Hartnell ’11, who ran for president of the United States to teach his students about civic engagement. There is another lesson in leadership about Dr. M. Michele Williams ’16 who is on a mission to expand health programs that detect lung disease when it is most treatable.
This issue also includes a feature about the impact social media has on social change. Our faculty and alumni cut through the chaos and confusion of this rapidly evolving communication tool so that you can use it to advance the causes that are important to you.
I encourage you to join me on social media. Through LinkedIn, I share my thoughts on leadership, social change, higher education, innovation, and much more. I look forward to connecting with you online or at one of our in-person events.
Sincerely,
Dr. Ward Ulmer ’04
Interim President
PhD in Applied Management and Decision Sciences