Faculty and staff are invited to the Steps to Leaps Summit, a professional development opportunity focused on the campus-wide, collaborative effort to enhance holistic well-being. The event includes guest speakers, presentations, student panels and recognition of award winners. Presentations will highlight research, programs and resources related to the Steps to Leaps pillars: well-being, leadership, impact, building networks and grit/persistence. 

 

Wednesday, March 11, 2026 from 11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Beck Agricultural Center, 4550 US 52, West Lafayette, IN 47906

Please RSVP by March 2 at 5 p.m.

RSVP

We look forward to connecting with you for professional development and discussion.

Please direct questions to steptoleaps@purdue.edu

SCHEDULE

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12 p.m. | Welcome and Awards Ceremony

Opening remarks from senior leadership will be followed by 
the announcement of this year's Steps to Leaps Awards recipients. 

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1 - 1:45 p.m. | First Break-out Presentations:

• Bridging The Communication Skills Gaps for Gen Z Stem Graduates – Presented by Rick Towers - Room TBD
  Identifying the sandbox moments within our units to assist students along their leadership and communication development journeys.
  
  
• Well-Being and Confidence for Purdue's International Students – Presented by Michael Mutti, Matthew Allen - Room TBD
  This presentation will examine the well-being of international students, which includes confidence in their studies. Recognizing strengths and gaps in their knowledge can help international students succeed at a large university abroad. Come to learn about how one department on campus addresses this issue, while learning about other units that can help in this challenging environment.
   
• Building Your Personal Board of Directors – Presented by Mikayla Woodward - Room TBD
  We all need support: Whether you need people to provide emotional support during your toughest moments or you need people in your corner to push you in a different direction, learn how to be intentional about the people you surround yourself with.
  
  
• Connections that Count, Invisible Bridges: Strategies that encourage belonging, wellness, networks and engagement. Why it matters, focus areas, connection catalysts and designing opportunities – Presented by Carmen Williams - Room TBD 
  Every initiative strengthens the Purdue experience. Belonging, wellness, and social connection matter in higher education and they impact employee engagement, collaboration and institutional success. Recognizing connection catalysts such as practical behaviors, environments and structures that naturally foster engagement and relationship-building across departments. Apply existing networking opportunities within units and identify gaps that may limit engagement then learn how to apply evidence-informed strategies intentionally designed to promote connection and enhancing networks. Cross-unit collaboration. 

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2 - 2:45 p.m. | Second Break-out Presentations:

• Understanding and Expanding Your Networks – Presented by Journey Reabe, Manabu Taketani  - Room TBD  
  Whether you are faculty, staff or a student, you engage in communities every day. Effective leadership within these communities relies on key competencies such as communication, collaboration, self-awareness and critical thinking. In one context or another, we all have people in our network, be it professional or personal. In this workshop, participants will contemplate how networks form and the influence of different contextual factors. Through an interactive activity, participants will explore different ways to address the question, "What is holding me back from expanding my circle?"
  
  
• Sustainable Support: Recognizing Burnout and Vicarious Trauma in Student-Facing Work – Presented by Melissa Maggard - Room TBD
  Student-facing work requires sustained empathy, presence and problem-solving amid competing demands. Many student-support staff and colleagues also carry the emotional weight of student crises, uncertainty and high-stakes decisions. Over time, this can contribute to burnout and vicarious trauma, which may undermine both personal well-being and professional effectiveness. This session offers a practical, research-aligned understanding of how burnout and vicarious trauma develop in helping roles, how they can be misinterpreted and how they can show up in routine work with students. Emphasis will be placed on realistic examples from student-facing contexts and on recognizing when normal stress has shifted into something that warrants attention and support. Participants will leave with clearer conceptual tools to name what they are experiencing, understand why it matters and make informed choices that support sustainable student care.
  
  
• Together, We Stand: Building a Network to Support International Students' Career Development – Presented by Shihling Chui-Dwyer - Room TBD
  The presenter will talk about how to connect with colleagues from different campus units, alumni, career professionals from other universities and employers to build a strong community to support Purdue international students in their career development journey.
  
  
• EDPS 105 Fellows: Current Students as a Resource for New Students – Presented by Mary Beth Lencke - Room TBD
  Utilizing peers in higher education is nothing new; we solicit their help and expertise for recruitment, mentoring and even advising. How can you harness that untapped wisdom in your own department? What if you could get these students to help for free? In Exploratory Studies, we piloted a program utilizing former students in our first-year course EDPS 105, Academic and Career Planning. These "fellow students" combine the best qualities of a TA and a mentor, supporting the instructor, engaging with new students and becoming an integral part of the classroom structure. What started as a program to help our new students now benefits our fellows equally, if not more so.

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3 - 3:45 p.m. | Third Break-out Presentations:

• Persistent Optimists and Quiet Coaches: Leadership Styles through the Lens of "Abbott Elementary" – Presented by Jasmine Pruitt - Room TBD
  Persistent Optimists and Quiet Coaches: Leadership Styles through the Lens of "Abbott Elementary" explores how everyday leadership shows up in advising spaces. Using beloved characters from the show as case studies, this session examines how optimism, adaptability and quiet guidance drive meaningful connections with students and colleagues. Advisers will reflect on their personal leadership styles, learn how to leverage strengths across experience levels, and gain strategies to cultivate resilient, student-centered teams, no principal's office required.
  
  
• Unlocking Your Identity and Embracing Your Cringe – Presented by Eileen White, Desmine Robinson - Room TBD
  Establishing one's identity is not a simple process and is a journey that is never truly complete. Our minds do not stop developing at 25, and humans remain capable of exploring new information that can shift our perceptions of joy, pain, loss, success and relationships. Learning how to show up authentically as a professional can pose a number of challenges for young people and seasoned professionals, especially in a dynamic and changing social ecosystem dominated by social media influencers and the rise of AI tools designed to maximize productivity without much thought about our human hearts.
  
  This presentation will explore the way we form our core identities by being unabashedly ourselves through an active embrace of our strengths and weaknesses without shame or judgment. Being more comfortable with your authentic self allows you to approach decisions with more confidence and authority, leading to better respect and networking in your chosen discipline.
  
  
• Redefining Persistence: Student-Centered Planning for Academic Success – Presented by Nia Gaten, Shelby Palmer, Aarushi Gupta, Kal Holder and Dan Guberman - Room TBD
  Focusing on the Grit/Persistence pillar of Steps to Leaps, we plan to facilitate a conversation regarding persistence, productive student planning and counseling. Many students often face barriers when choosing between courses that align with their personal or career interests and those that satisfy diploma requirements. This student-led presentation will encourage those in the Purdue academic environment to consider how the student voice is uplifted or silenced. Furthermore, we will discuss the impacts of these dynamics on student planning and offer tips to help students identify pathways that align with their learning goals and environments.
  
  
• Taking a Leap with SLEC and LEAD's Executive Leadership Initiative – Presented by Jeff Stefancic and Kris Acheson-Clair - Room TBD  
  There are many ways to assess and research well-being. In this presentation, we will discuss the many ways we've examined partnerships to increase well-being education in the classroom, campus-wide well-being metrics and examining student well-being. You will hear about the manner in which the assessment and research have been discussed, findings and programs created or changes that have been made.