Faculty News
Dr. Janet Ayres Emphasizes the Importance Of Leadership In the Classroom & Around
the World
Dr. Janet Ayres, Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics,
has kept an even busier schedule since being asked to share her teaching
skills and leadership experience in the classroom and abroad. She
began the semester teaching a senior level leadership class on campus
after just returning from the rural region of Novgorod, Russia where
she evaluated community projects by eight women participating in a
leadership development program.
The Russian program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State,
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Novgorod State University,
and Purdue University International Programs in Agriculture. Michael
Stitsworth and Zina Breschinsky are the co-managers of the project;
Janet is the leadership development trainer.
After applying and interviewing for the program, eight women were
selected for their leadership potential. The program started at
Purdue in April 2001 with a 3-week leadership development program.
In addition to basic leadership training, they visited rural communities
to interact with women leaders, participated in various volunteer
organizations, learned computer skills, and visited women leaders
in Indianapolis and Washington, D.C. Before they left the U.S.,
they developed a leadership project for their local community. After
approval of their proposal they were given mini-grants to initiate
their project.
One of the women initiated a foster care program for orphaned or
abused children. Another participant, a teacher, started a drug
and alcohol abuse program in the school. She trained several teens
on self-esteem, the danger of drugs, and how to say "no"
to peers. A librarian started an "Ecology Club" for children
in her rural village. After the fall of the Soviet Union, many of
the youth clubs and organizations ceased to exist.
Dr. Ayres' experience in the program was very beneficial to the
seniors who enrolled in AGEC 498E, "Leadership in a Changing
World." One student commented, "Dr. Ayres' personal experiences
really added to the learning and how leadership plays a role in
our lives after college." Other seniors added these thoughts:
"This class definitely helped me develop as a person;"
"She taught us skills and methods on how to work with groups,
facilitation, conflict, and visioning;" and "I now know
what leadership really means - I will definitely use these valuable
tools in the workplace and my everyday life."
Dr. Ayres' ability to develop individual leadership skills in others
is truly impacting the world - from the Agricultural Economic seniors
sitting in a classroom on the West Lafayette, IN campus to the women
working diligently to improve their homeland in Russia.
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