WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Seven area businesswomen from greater Hartford will participate in a new cross-cultural leadership development program created by Saint Joseph College at the King Abdullah University of Science & Technology, known as KAUST, in Saudi Arabia.
The inaugural Leadership & Sustainable Communities Program will consist of 15 businesswomen from greater Hartford and Saudi Arabia, from June 2 – 14 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
“I am so thankful to our faculty in leadership studies and KAUST for creating this transformative opportunity for women,” said Pamela Trotman Reid, Ph.D., president of Saint Joseph College. “The Leadership & Sustainable Communities Program comes at a time where we as women and business leaders need to increase our understanding of global issues, and bring this knowledge back to our workplace and communities.”
The program offers participants the opportunity to explore current issues including economic sustainability, global ethics and leadership solutions, as well as to promote service to the global community, according to Saint Joseph College faculty and creators of the program, Dr. Michelle M. Stronz, program director and professor of management and leadership, and Dr. Nancy Billias, professor of applied philosophy.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to immerse myself in a truly international atmosphere – in terms of location, participants and purpose. I simply cannot wait,” said Lucille Janatka, president and CEO, Midstate Medical Center, one of the seven area businesswomen attending the program.
The other participants include:
Megan Torrey, Connecticut World Affairs Council; Teresa Younger, Permanent Commission on the Status of Women; Melinda Brayton, Aid to Artisans; Judi Otton, Advanced Decisions; Eileen Hasson, The Computer Company; and Anne Evans, US Department of Commerce.
The two-week program will be hosted at the King Abdullah University of Science & Technology. The school is a newly launched co-educational university in Jeddah dedicated to collaborative research and sustainable economic development. “In this ideal setting, between the desert and the sea, the learning experience will be enriched by the diverse culture, geography and economy that exist in and around KAUST,” said Stronz. A blog has been launched at desert2sea.wordpress.com to follow progress on the program.
Saint Joseph College, founded in 1932 by the Sisters of Mercy to provide higher education opportunities for women, is a comprehensive institution serving women from diverse backgrounds and religious traditions. Responsive to the evolving educational needs of the community, the School of Graduate and Professional Studies also offers both women and men graduate degree programs in many fields, a Weekend Program for Adult Learners, professional certificate programs relevant to today’s workforce, and other continuing education opportunities. In the fall of 2011, the Saint Joseph College School of Pharmacy, the first doctoral program in the College’s 77-year history, will open at Hartford 21 on Trumbull Street in downtown Hartford.
-Press Release from Cindy Mariani, Saint Joseph College, West Hartford, CT.
