The University of Toledo has selected four faculty members to serve as its 2026-27 Fellows in the Mid-American Conference Academic Leadership Development Program (MAC ALDP), an initiative designed to identify, develop, prepare and advance faculty as academic leaders.
This year’s UToledo Fellows are Dr. Ahmad Y. Javaid, associate professor and interim chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Dr. Tyler Hancock, associate professor of marketing in the John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation; Dr. Leslie Neyland-Brown, associate professor and program director of counselor education; and Dr. Mounika Polavarapu, associate professor in the Department of Population Health.
Launched in 2017, the MAC ALDP brings together faculty from institutions across the Mid-American Conference to develop their leadership knowledge and skills while building relationships with academic leaders beyond their own campuses. Fellows participate in leadership development activities at their home institutions as well as programming that connects them with Fellows and administrators from other MAC universities.
“We are incredibly proud to congratulate our newest cohort of MAC ALDP Fellows,” said Dr. Mitchell S. McKinney, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “Strong, thoughtful leadership across our colleges drives innovation in research and teaching, and this program provides an exceptional platform for our faculty to collaborate across the Mid-American Conference.
“I look forward to seeing how Drs. Hancock, Javaid, Neyland-Brown, and Polavarapu apply these leadership experiences to shape the future of UToledo.”
“The MAC Academic Leadership Development Program gives faculty a valuable opportunity to think intentionally about leadership, learn from colleagues across the University and the MAC, and gain a broader understanding of how universities work,” said Dr. Jeanne Kusina, Director of the Teaching and Learning Center and UToledo liaison to the program. “Each of our Fellows brings a different disciplinary background, set of experiences and perspective to the program, and I’m excited to work with this year’s cohort as they explore their own approaches to academic leadership.”
During the academic year, the Fellows will participate in leadership development activities at UToledo and with their counterparts across the MAC, providing opportunities to learn from senior leaders, explore issues facing higher education. and develop relationships with colleagues across institutions.
More information on this year’s UToledo Fellows and previous Fellows is available at the provost’s MAC Academic Leadership Development Program website.
