The Leadership and Organizational Performance (LOP) master’s degree program held its 8th annual White Paper Symposium at the Faye and Joe Wyatt Center on November 14. Faculty, alumni, and business leaders as well as family and friends gathered to watch students present highlights from their capstone projects. The Symposium is a tradition that reflects the focus of the LOP program in supporting students to become excellent scholar-practitioners.
Students engaged in internships, conducted secondary research, and wrote evidence-based white papers. The papers reflected what students learned throughout the LOP program and provided a tangible way for them to showcase their knowledge.
This year’s symposium theme was inspired by Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s recently released autobiography, Lovely One. In her memoir, Justice Jackson explores the importance of perseverance, education, and public service.
“Leadership is a highly sought-after and valued commodity. The Symposium gives year two students a platform to show how they are applying what they have learned about to real-world situations,” said Kim Davenport, LOP program director and lecturer of leadership, policy, and organizations.
Ten students from the LOP Fall 2024 graduating class presented the following capstone projects:
Joe Accam—Supporting first generation professionals in the workplace (FGPs)
Emily Baugus—Decentralized decision making; from battlefields to boardrooms
Elana Huber—The lost art of disagreement fostering constructive dialogue for innovation
Aubrey Knox—Balancing cultural fit and reducing recruiter bias in hiring
Daniel Lo—Designing effective hybrid work models
Jack McMahon—Does culture matter? How can Division 1 men’s basketball programs cultivate and sustain a strong identity and culture amid high turnover and low retention rate
Jordyn Oliver—College athletic marketing: why athletic departments need to take social media seriously
Adam Simmons—Transition management in Division 1 college basketball
Javier Soto—Implementation science and human-centered communication: a catalyst for organizational change
Jordan Zahora—Beyond traditional training: a self-directed model for facilitator education.
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