Leading the Way: How Women are Shaping the Future of Learning

The world of academia has long been dominated by men, but as society evolves and traditional gender roles continue to be broken down, we are seeing more and more women at the forefront of education. Female educators and researchers are pushing boundaries, challenging convention and paving the way for future generations.

Studies have shown that diverse teams and organizations are more innovative and successful, and this is no different in the field of education. In order to inspire a new generation of women educators and researchers, we must share the stories of those who have challenged the status quo and made an impact in their fields. By highlighting the achievements and struggles of these women, we can inspire the next generation to pursue careers in education and take their places as leaders in their fields.

But more needs to be done to support women in academia. Despite making up almost half of doctoral students in some fields, women are still underrepresented in faculty positions and face challenges such as a lack of mentorship and bias in hiring processes. In order to support more women in their pursuit of academic careers, we must address these challenges and continue pushing for more equality and diversity in education.

To anchor our Education Focus in this issue of TEQ, we are highlighting some of the region’s most successful women in education. We asked them the same questions to dig deep in areas of leadership, technology and creating more opportunities. Through these profiles of women leaders in education, we hope to inspire and support more women to take on leadership roles in academia and beyond.

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Knowing Your “Why” is Foundational to a Career in Education
Dr. Kathy W. Humphrey, President, Carlow University

TEQ: What inspired you to pursue a career in higher education leadership, and what have been some of the biggest challenges you have faced in this role?

KH: Creating platforms that provide students with an opportunity to excel has been my life’s work. I am called to do this work, and I will let nothing stop me from making a difference in the lives of students, faculty and staff.

As times change, so do the pathways to a better life. Carlow must continue to modernize and adapt to meet people where they are in life and to forge new avenues to assist them. Through this, we not only honor the Sisters of Mercy but also their objective of assisting those who may not otherwise have an opportunity to receive a college education.

TEQ: As a woman in a leadership position, how do you work to create more opportunities for women in education, and what advice do you have for women who aspire to leadership roles in academia?

KH: My advice to women who want to be in leadership roles in higher education is to determine why you want the responsibility; because your “why” is what will sustain you in the role.  Your “why” is what will motivate you to withstand the challenging times and when your “why” is completed, there is no better reward, no better joy.  

I am president of a university that has only had women presidents throughout its history, but that is not the case across higher education. The Eos Foundation’s Women’s Power Gap report found that women make up 55% of all PhD earners, but just 22% of all higher education presidents. The study also found that 46% of the universities in the study had never had a woman leader.

It takes a conscious, concerted effort to create more opportunities for women in education. I have a responsibility for every person who works with me to help them accomplish their professional goals. I give of my time to many women who are in leadership positions. I try to serve as their sounding board, and I try to give them information that I wished someone would have given to me or helpful information that my mentors gave to me.  I am committed to lift others up, and I am thrilled when I see the women that I have invested in prosper.

TEQ: How do you see technology impacting the future of education, and what strategies do you employ to ensure that your institution stays at the forefront of these changes?

KH: Technology has been the biggest change that the higher education enterprise has ever endured in its history.  AI and data gathering methods – the availability of information to students – have changed what it means to teach and to learn.  So, we must be flexible enough to use these new technologies and willing to adapt our methodology and pedagogy to address the needs of the 21st century students. 

TEQ: What initiatives or programs has your institution implemented to promote diversity and inclusion, and how do you measure the success of these efforts?

KH: I have long been dedicated to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in all aspects of my professional and personal life. I have had the pleasure of serving as a diversity educator for many universities and other organizations around the country.

At Carlow I have challenged my leadership team to provide proof that DEI is a value to our institution.  We have set goals that will make us a more inclusive institution, and we are currently seeking a DEI leader for our institution.

We have worked with the Black Collective (a group of 175 black leaders in Pittsburgh) to create 11 outcomes that if implemented will change Pittsburgh for the better in 7-10 years. Currently we are having an assessment completed that will help us understand what is already being done in regard to the 11 outcomes, so that we can discover the gaps of what is not occurring to help us accomplish our goals of making Pittsburgh a better place for Blacks.

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A Passion for Education Informed by Economic Development
Rhonda Phillips, President, Chatham University

TEQ: What inspired you to pursue a career in higher education leadership, and what have been some of the biggest challenges you have faced in this role? 

RP: Higher education is a unique sector playing a fiduciary role in development of economies and societies. Just consider what the U.S. has accomplished with the advent of the modern university system beginning in the late 19th century and accelerating with wide-spread access with the GI Bill after WWII. The U.S. system of higher education has served as inspiration across the globe, with education often being the foundation for successful growth and development for many countries. I started my career in economic development, and early on, saw the value and role higher education played in developing economies. This inspired me to pursue a move to the academy. 

The biggest challenge? Just finding enough time to pursue the many fascinating and critical areas of inquiry and application! 

TEQ: As a woman in a leadership position, how do you work to create more opportunities for women in education, and what advice do you have for women who aspire to leadership roles in academia?

RP: Certainly, we need to work towards more opportunities for women and other underrepresented people in the academy. Most students in the U.S. higher education system are female, yet leadership at the top echelon (as well in many disciplines for tenured, full professors) is less than one-third. Providing mentoring and leadership development programs or initiatives, recognizing talent early, and striving to provide support are all essential to creating more opportunities for women. 

Advice? Don’t give up and seek the environment that supports leadership aspirations. Women often must change institutions to move up in higher education and this needs to be recognized and remedied. 

TEQ: How do you see technology impacting the future of education, and what strategies do you employ to ensure that your institution stays at the forefront of these changes?

RP: I’ve worked through the years in technology-based development, with bus-iness incubator programs and around the role of tech policy. Given this background, I am excited about the challenges and opportunities facing all of us with the integration of AI into not only educational applications but across all dimensions of life. The ethics and equities of rapid technology integration will require more attention to their impacts on individual and collective well-being, for example. This area of wide-scale societal or community well-being is of extreme importance and interest to me given the many changes we’re facing. 

Chatham, as a private non-profit institution, seeks partnerships across sectors to both explore applications as well as consider their impacts. One of the initiatives I’d like to explore with colleagues is to consider “sustainable well-being and emerging technologies” for courses and applied research. Integration of AI is already happening in higher education, and we can work to discover efficient, effective and equitable ways to use it in teaching, service and research. 

TEQ: In your opinion, what are the most important qualities for a leader in education to possess, and how do you work to cultivate these qualities in yourself and others?

RP: For me, leadership is about helping others succeed in your organization, community and beyond. Concurrently, leaders also need to hold the vision and keep on track with the core mission. In other words, provide inspiration and a clear direction forward, because without vision and direction, organizations can lose focus quickly. 
Leadership training is also invaluable, along with mentoring and leading by example. I’ve long been committed to mentoring and benefited early in my career from being mentored by strong leaders who knew how to inspire and achieve. Having colleagues and networks to reach out to is always important and helps develop leadership abilities. 

TEQ: What initiatives or programs has your institution implemented to promote diversity and inclusion, and how do you measure the success of these efforts?

RP: One of things that attracted me to Chatham was the infusion of a commitment “to welcome and respect diversity of all kinds” directly in the university mission statement. Over the years, Chatham has aimed to build organizational structures that further this mission through a Chief Diversity Officer, an Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI), a Diversity & Inclusion Council, and a campus-wide process to establish a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Strategic Plan. Chatham also offers a variety of DEI programs for employees and students including our women and gender centers, professional development day and training, identity-based social and affinity groups, and more.   

In terms of measurement and success, Chatham has conducted campus climate assessments, including focus groups and surveys, and is building further assessment and metrics into the DEI Strategic Plan. These efforts help gauge progress through metrics such as improvements in campus climate, an increased sense of belonging on campus, and growth in recruiting and retaining students and employees. We fully recognize that even with our programs, structures and mission-level commitment to DEI, there is still a great deal of work to do in helping to build a more truly welcoming and inclusive community for all.

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Three Decades of Supporting the Next Generation’s Quest for Knowledge 
Dr. Alicia Harvey-Smith, President, Pittsburgh Technical College

TEQ: What inspired you to pursue a career in higher education leadership, and what have been some of the biggest challenges you have faced in this role? 

AH-S: For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a passion for learning. This dates as far back to some of my earliest memories, and that passion became even clearer as I continued my education at a number of renowned universities. It was this experience that truly showed me the transformational power of higher education, and for the last 30 years I’ve dedicated my life to supporting the next generation in its quest for knowledge.

But that certainly has not come without its challenges. Most notably, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in March of 2020, Pittsburgh Technical College (PTC) was forced to transition to remote learning. This unique challenge required quick action in order to seamlessly enable our students to continue their studies. I leaned on my years of experience, along with the help of PTC’s amazing faculty and staff, to develop a shift to remote learning. Of course,  thoughtfully and purposefully returning to in-person learning also presented challenges.

TEQ: As a woman in a leadership position, how do you work to create more opportunities for women in education, and what advice do you have for women who aspire to leadership roles in academia?

AH-S: I’m a proud graduate of Western Senior High School, one of the oldest all-girls public high schools in the nation and one of Baltimore’s most distinguished institutions of learning, founded in 1844. Ever since growing up in an educational environment entirely around young women and future business leaders, I’ve been a strong advocate for women in leadership.

I am such an advocate for creating opportunities for women in education, and work to promote this mindset in the next generation of young women. I was honored to speak at K&L Gates last year on International Women’s Day to address how employers and places of higher education can build workplaces where women thrive, while forging female empowerment by elevating women’s visibility in the workplace. 

I invite women of all ages to dream the impossible dream. Believing that you can achieve a goal is the first step to realizing your leadership dreams.

TEQ: How do you see technology impacting the future of education, and what strategies do you employ to ensure that your institution stays at the forefront of these changes? 

AH-S: As technology continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, the workforce needs to adapt to new tools, processes and ways of working. This requires providing individuals with the necessary digital literacy skills and promoting lifelong learning to keep up with evolving technologies.

There is a significant gap between the skills demanded by employers and the skills possessed by many entering the workforce. Many jobs now require advanced technical skills, critical thinking, problem-solving abilities and creativity. Bridging this skills gap requires aligning educational curricula with the needs of the job market and providing opportunities for practical, hands-on learning experiences. 

Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive and collaborative approach, as technology is already having a major impact on the future of education, a trend that is only going to continue in the years to come. 

Technology can be used to personalize learning for each student, based on their individual needs and interests. This can be done through adaptive learning platforms, which provide varying levels of difficulty and support for diverse learners. Innovation and technology can also be used to facilitate collaborative learning, where students work together to solve problems and complete projects. This can be done through online discussion boards, video conferencing and other tools.

In order to ensure that our institution stays at the forefront of these changes, we are investing in technology and training our faculty on how to use it effectively. We are also partnering with companies that are developing innovative educational technologies. 

Our focus on embracing developing technologies creates the best possible learning experiences while ensuring that PTC is prepared to meet the challenges and opportunities of today and the future.

TEQ: In your opinion, what are the most important qualities for a leader in education to possess, and how do you work to cultivate these qualities in yourself and others?

AH-S: There is a symbiotic relationship between intelligence and curiosity, with each fueling the other. Leaders in education must possess both a global understanding of the science of education as well as a microfocus on the learning processes of individuals.

Learning is the product of curiosity. As children, we continually ask, “Why?” As education leaders we must embrace the curiosity of our youth as we continually seek more knowledge. In fact, our curiosity should be insatiable, as we seek new and additional building blocks of knowledge.

There are, of course, formal methods for acquiring knowledge – seminars, conferences and books – and I encourage my contemporaries and colleagues to pursue these methods. However, what I find equally beneficial is surrounding myself with people – faculty, staff and students – whose perspectives and experiences are different from my own. I enjoy respectful discussions and debates where we build on each other’s ideas, consider each other’s perspectives and challenge conventional thinking.

Now more than ever, the world and its residents are our classroom.

TEQ: What initiatives or programs has your institution implemented to promote diversity and inclusion, and how do you measure the success of these efforts? 

AH-S: Expanding access to education across a wide range of demographics is one of PTC’s key endeavors, and we have implemented several initiatives and programs to promote diversity and inclusion. To measure the success of these efforts, we are utilizing climate surveys to gather feedback and assess the overall campus climate regarding diversity and inclusion. Additionally, the increased attendance at awareness events, forums and workshops can indicate the level of engagement and interest within the PTC community. 

We established the college’s first-ever Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in 2021. Within the first 90 days, the college launched the “We Are Listening” campaign, an initiative designed to actively engage faculty, staff and students in discussions about diversity and inclusion. PTC also recently hosted its inaugural DEI Day to showcase and celebrate diversity and inclusion achievements, promote dialogue and raise awareness among the college community. 

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How Gaming and Technology Drive New Frontiers in Education
Dr. Brooke Morrill, Senior Director of Education at Schell Games

TEQ: What inspired you to pursue a career at an educational gaming company, and what have been some of the biggest challenges you have faced in this role?

BM: I connected with our CEO, Jesse Schell, while I was completing a behavioral economics internship at Disney Research in 2014. At the time, I was completing my doctoral research around using gamification to increase children’s consumption of fruits and vegetables at school (which was successful). Jesse and I spoke about my behavioral science background and doctoral research, along with Schell Games’  development of transformational games like those we developed for Amplify Education (World of Lexica, Ink Blott Underground), Yale’s play2PREVENT lab, and an interest in exploring the federal grant space for education games — like Happy Atoms. 

We both recognized the synergies between our backgrounds, interests,and goals — especially using research-backed, evidence-based practice to inform game mechanics (i.e., how players interact with the game) and improve outcomes. Schell Games is unique in its focus on education AND entertainment, so I was excited about the prospect of making the world a better place through as many types of games and interactive experiences as possible.

TEQ: How do you see gaming technology impacting the future of education, and what strategies do you employ to ensure that your institution stays at the forefront of these changes?

BM: There is rich literature about using games for transformational purposes — though most of these writings focus on specific games and their impact on specific goals. Continued future research is needed to expand our knowledge on the conditions under which specific game mechanics impact different outcomes. We employ several strategies at Schell Games to navigate the rapid changes in technology platforms and the gaming industry at large. 

When choosing a platform (e.g., VR, AR, mobile), we ask, “Why this technology?” Is the game concept best experienced via this platform, or would another platform be more appropriate? Our goal is to use technology to best support the player experience and not create problems or frustration.

When building a game or interactive experience, we talk to and test with the target audience and relevant stakeholders. In the vein of using technology to create solutions to existing problems rather than creating more problems, it is essential to understand the constraints of settings and the wants/needs of players AND stakeholders. When building a game or interactive experience with a transformational goal, we build the game/experience around the goal rather than shoehorning educational outcomes into a specific type of game. We typically ask: What is the transformation we’re trying to achieve? What type(s) of activity/activities bring about his transformation in the real world? What game mechanic(s) best supports this activity/these activities?

In this way, the transformational activities are ingrained in the entire experience and we avoid pulling a player out of the game flow as much as possible. 

TEQ: What will it take for the education/technology industry to grow and what advice do you have for those who aspire to leadership roles in this field?

BM: Technology is evolving faster than ever, and many individuals recognize the potential of these amazing technology advances to impact education. Formal education tends to be the first place we think of when discussing education in general, but it is a tough space to get into due to various barriers, such as time and resource availability, many stakeholders, lack of familiarity with ever-changing technology, etc. Informal educational environments, like museums, camps and clubs, can have a great impact on visitors. It provides visitors with a chance to experience and acclimate to new types of technology that could make the technology’s use in more formal settings easier to accomplish. The most important thing is the value the technology brings: it must solve a real problem and show positive outcomes to garner the support that will lead to long-lasting implementation. 

For those who would like to achieve a leadership role in educational technology, a clear vision is essential, along with the willingness to adapt to an ever-changing landscape of problems and solutions. Additionally, remembering to identify target audiences and take their feedback seriously helps to avoid the pitfall of creating problems instead of solutions. It’s also important for leaders to recognize that no one has all the answers, and you’re only as strong as your team. Schell Games seeks out subject matter experts/consultants for transformational projects to ensure that we get it right (e.g., content, teaching method, style, sensitivity, etc.). 

TEQ: In your opinion, what are the most important qualities for a leader in education technology to possess, and how do you work to cultivate these qualities in yourself and others?

BM: There are a few important qualities that will help a leader in educational technology shine, and most of those qualities center around always exploring both sides of an issue. 

Leaders should understand the pros and cons of the tech and under which conditions/for what purposes the tech works best. Leaders should understand the problem they’re trying to solve with tech and garner excitement about that tech’s potential to solve problems (not create more problems to solve). Leaders should manage expectations with realistic benchmarks for success and growth. 

Flexibility and the ability to adapt to an ever-changing environment is also of the utmost importance. 

TEQ: What initiatives or programs has your institution implemented to promote diversity and inclusion, and how do you measure the success of these efforts?

BM: At Schell Games, we believe diversity makes us strong. We have several programs that promote diversity and inclusion that include: Schell Games Apprenticeship Program where we partnered with the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) to create a hybrid training curriculum that will guide aspiring gaming professionals through a three-year Associate Degree in Multimedia Programming, Simulation and Gaming. 

Schell Games provided the lead financial gift to Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) to create the ETC Fellowship Fund. It’s a new program that will provide tuition relief for current students who are underrepresented at the Center and in the broader gaming industry. 

Our Accessibility Champions is an internal group of studio employees who lead the charge on game accessibility initiatives. They created and use the Accessibility Matrix to help guide project teams to think about achievable accessibility features early and often rather than after the fact, much like the process we use to develop transformational games (i.e., build the game from the transformation / build the game with accessibility in mind from the ground up).