2026 Leadership Summit

Event Details

Fall 2026 will bring the inaugural Leadership Summit hosted by the Roger C. Stewart Office of Student Leadership, Engagement and Community (SLEC), the Leadership and Professional Development Department (LEAD), and the Student Life Leadership Programming Council.

  • Date: November 10, 2026 11:30am-4pm (lunch and afternoon dessert provided)
  • Location: Beck Agricultural Center, West Lafayette, IN
  • Target Audience: Faculty and staff from across campus are welcome
  • Theme: Every Boilermaker a Leader: Developing the Next Generation of Self-Aware Thinkers, Communicators, and Collaborators

Call for Awards

Nomination Deadline: September 25 

The inaugural Purdue Leadership Summit celebrates individuals and organizations that intentionally cultivate leadership across our campus community. 

Faculty, staff, and students are invited to nominate individuals and organizations whose recent efforts exemplify Purdue's commitment to developing leadership through the leadership competencies of communication, collaboration, self-awareness, and ways of thinking. These awards recognize meaningful leadership demonstrated through action, innovation, and impact rather than leadership titles or positions. 

Nomination materials include contact information for the nominator and nominee (self-nominations are not permitted), a 500-word maximum nomination statement, and an optional upload of supplemental materials collated into a single file of no more than 5 pages. Nominations will be evaluated by a committee based on alignment with award criteria, demonstrated innovation, intentionality, and impact, and the persuasiveness of examples and evidence supporting the nomination. 

Recipients will be recognized during the inaugural Leadership Summit at the Beck Agricultural Center on November 10, 2026.

Please submit all nominations electronically in this Qualtrics form by 5pm on Friday, September 25, 2026.

Awards Categories

Student Leadership in Action Award
The Student Leadership in Action Award will recognize two students who have demonstrated exceptional leadership through one of Purdue's leadership/future ready competencies during the past 6-12 months. 

Nomination statements should clearly illustrate how the nominee embodies leadership through effective (choose only one to offer persuasive evidence of competence): 

  • Communication  
  • Collaboration  
  • Self-Awareness  
  • Ways of Thinking 

Leadership may be demonstrated in academic settings, student organizations, employment, service, research, mentoring, or other experiences on and off campus. Nominations celebrating emerging and "unsung" student leaders whose contributions may not otherwise receive recognition, for instance because they exemplify leadership competencies but do not have formal leadership roles or titles, are particularly encouraged. 

Student Organization Leadership in Action Award
The Organization Leadership in Action Award will recognize a student organization that has intentionally and systematically fostered leadership development among its members throughout the past year. 

Successful nominations should demonstrate leadership development occurring across the organization rather than through only one or two individual leaders. Special consideration will be given to nominations that align their systematic leadership development efforts with leadership/future ready competencies.  

Organizations can provide evidence of a variety of activities that support leadership development, including but not limited to: 

  • Structured leadership curriculum or framework 
  • Defined pipelines for members to become leaders 
  • Required leadership training for roles 
  • Alignment with Purdue’s leadership/future ready competency framework 
  • Leadership workshop, retreat, or conference participation rates 
  • Coaching or mentoring program details 
  • Certifications and completion/badge rates 
  • Assessment tools (myStrengths, MCode etc.) 
  • Succession, transition, and onboarding protocols 
  • Documented initiatives and their outcomes 
Faculty/Staff Leadership Education Award
The Leadership Education Award will recognize faculty or staff who have intentionally embedded leadership development into experiences inside or outside the classroom and can demonstrate meaningful impact on student learning and development. Leadership may be demonstrated in academic or student life settings, for example employment, service, research, mentoring, or other experiences with Purdue, local community, and/or national organizations. Special consideration will be given to nominations that emphasize the impact or potential impact of educational experiences on student development of leadership/future ready competencies. 

Examples may include student leadership development through: 

  • Classroom instruction 
  • Tiered student employment  
  • Advising or mentoring  
  • Student support or community-building programs 
  • Development and presentation of leadership programs internal or external to the university 
  • Direct advising of Purdue student organizations towards a leadership-focused mission 
  • Residential education  
  • Co-curricular initiatives 
Faculty/Staff Leadership Research Award
The Leadership Research Award will recognize faculty or staff whose scholarly work advances understanding of leadership development through empirical research, theoretical innovation, outcomes assessment, or scholarship of teaching and learning. Special consideration will be given to nominations that emphasize the impact or potential impact of innovations on student development of leadership/future ready competencies. 

Examples may include: 

  • Published or presented (conferences, panels, workshops) scholarship  
  • Assessment initiatives  
  • Systematic curricular/program evaluation  
  • Leadership education research  
  • Innovative applications of theory in teaching or training 

Call for Proposals

Proposal Submission Deadline: September 25 

The inaugural Leadership Summit invites faculty and staff to share innovative ideas, programs, research, and practices that foster leadership development among Purdue students.  

Whether your work takes place in the classroom, through co-curricular experiences, student organizations, mentoring, advising, student employment, or campus partnerships, we encourage proposals that inspire colleagues and strengthen leadership education across Purdue.  Presentation proposals should align with one or more of Purdue’s leadership/future ready  competencies: Communication, Collaboration, Self-Awareness, and Ways of Thinking. We are especially interested in engaging, interactive sessions that provide participants with practical strategies and ideas they can apply in their own work.

Additional topics could include but are not limited to: 

  • Leadership development in classroom or student life settings  
  • Coaching and mentoring for student leaders 
  • Student engagement and involvement in leadership development 
  • Career readiness and future-ready leadership  
  • Artificial intelligence and leadership 
  • Leadership models (servant, values-based, etc.)  
  • Inclusive leadership  
  • Organizational culture and team development  
  • Campus partnerships and collaboration supporting leadership development 
  • Leadership development activities or tools 
  • Leadership assessment and evaluation  
  • Leadership research and scholarship  
  • Innovation in leadership teaching or training 
  • Experiential leadership learning  
  • Wellness and leadership  
  • Emerging issues in leadership development  

Proposals on other leadership-related topics that align with the summit theme are also encouraged. Presenters whose proposals are accepted will be facilitating sessions during the inaugural Leadership Summit at the Beck Agricultural Center on November 10, 2026.

Please submit session proposals electronically in this Qualtrics form by 5pm on Friday, September 25, 2026.

Last modified: August 19, 2026