Higher Education Resource Services (HERS) Leadership Institute

In prior years, Rutgers Health has supported attendance at the Higher Education Resource Services Leadership (HERS) Institute (HLI). Rutgers Health will again support all costs for up to three faculty candidates and one staff member. Please note, this opportunity is open to all eligible faculty and staff who meet the criteria below. The supported faculty and staff will be provided with a Chancellor’s letter of support for the application.

The format eligible for Chancellor’s funds is the Summer Intensive HLI 9-Day Residential Program at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado, July 14 – 23. The program website is: https://hersnetwork.org/hers-institute/#

The HLI is a transformational, leadership development program for higher education professionals. The HLI is dedicated to creating and sustaining a community of leaders with a special focus on self-knowledge, institutional awareness, networking, and the practical application of lessons for achieving excellence in higher education. The course provides a concentrated training program to assist participants in mid to senior-level positions in academia to prepare them to assume senior leadership roles, and to enhance their leadership as decision-makers at all levels of the institution.

Please see below for the deadlines for internal applications for Rutgers Health Support, and the HERS HLI application deadlines.

Please encourage your qualified colleagues to apply. Interested applicants are encouraged to discuss their plans with their school dean/unit director in advance of submission. We will confirm the endorsement of the school dean/unit director and convene a committee to select the candidates for support.

Criteria for selection include being a mid-to-senior career, a successful track record in academic and/or professional pursuits, future career and leadership goals, and evidence of leadership potential (e.g., through demonstration of service to the institution in leadership roles). All applicants are expected to exhibit a significant commitment to leadership development, evidenced by active participation in Rutgers University leadership programs. Examples of qualifying programs include, but are not limited to: Academic Leadership Program at Rutgers Health (ALP-RH), Rutgers Health Staff Mentoring Program, OneRed High Impact Leadership Program, or Advance, Engage, and Mentor (AEM). If you have questions regarding whether a program is applicable, please contact the email address below. 

Please note, to be considered for funding you must submit the following materials to rbhsfacultyaffairs@rbhs.rutgers.edu no later than December 19, 2025:

• A current CV
• A one-paragraph essay describing your interest, qualifications, career aspirations, how your HERS experience will enhance your contributions to Rutgers Health and an argument supporting your selection for the program.

Once selected for funding, candidates will submit their applications directly to the Higher Education Resource Services (HERS) Leadership Institute.

If you have any questions about the process, please contact rbhsfacultyaffairs@rbhs.rutgers.edu.

HERS Overview and Online Application

Previous Winners

Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences has sponsored up to three outstanding candidates since 2015 to attend the HERS Institute. The candidates were selected from a pool of highly qualified applicants by a committee of faculty recruited from schools within RBHS. The following were the winning candidates we supported:

2025

Christine Repsha, PhD, RN, School of Nursing

Heba Elkassaby, BDS, DMD, MDSc., Rutgers School of Dental Medicine

Yosayra Solano, EdD, School of Nursing

2024

Bianca Thompson-Owen, MA, School of Health Professions

Evelyne Kalyoussef, MD, FACS, New Jersey Medical School

Wendy Purcell, PhD, FRSA, School of Public Health

2023

Jaya Satagopan, PhD, School of Public Health

Michelle Dalla Piazza, MD, New Jersey Medical School

Rajita Bhavaraju, MPH, New Jersey Medical School

2022

Laura Liang, DrPH, CHES, CPH, School of Public Health

Sophia Chen, DO, MPH, ACUE, New Jersey Medical School

Stephanie Bonne, MD, FACS, New Jersey Medical School

2020

Diane P. Calello, MD, FACMT, FAAP, FAACT, New Jersey Medical School

Emily Barrett, PhD, School of Public Health

Payal Parikh, MD, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Vaishali Singhal, DMD, PhD, MS, School of Health Professions

2019

Ann Murphy, PhD, CPRP, School of Health Professions

Pamela Rothpletz-Puglia, EdD, RD, School of Health Professions

Leslie Kantor, PhD, MPH, School of Public Health

2018

Archana Pradhan, MD, MPH, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Sharon Anderson, DNP, MS, School of Nursing

Teri Lassiter, PhD, MPH, School of Public Health

2017

Evelyn Hermes–DeSantis, PharmD, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy

Marian Passanante, PhD, School of Public Health

2016

Carol Lutz, PhD, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

Emine Abali, PhD, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Sharon Manne, PhD Rutgers Cancer Institute, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

2015

Barbara Gladson, PhD, Rutgers School of Health Professions

Shawna Hudson, PhD, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Monica Roth, PhD, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School