Pell Center announces 2015-2016 class of Nuala Pell Leadership Fellows

Twelve sophomores committed to developing their leadership skills have been selected from a competitive field of applicants as fellows in the Nuala Pell Leadership Program for the 2015-2016 academic year.

Named in honor of the late Nuala Pell, the wife of Sen. Claiborne Pell and a longtime University trustee, the program aims to build students’ leadership skills to be used both in the classroom and in the real world. Participating students will receive specialized leadership training throughout their sophomore year. Based at the Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy, the program is delivered by core staff of the Pell Center and outside guests.

Students making up the 2015-2016 class include:

• Jenna Abrams, a psychology major
• Alessio Ayuninjam, a graphic design major
• Tabitha-Anne Bloodsaw, a theatre and philosophy major
• Kathryn Clancy, an elementary and special education major
• Luc Copeland, a nursing major
• Brittany Fox, a history major
• Alexis Jankowski, a psychology major
• Omar Kane, a biology/neuroscience major
• Jacob Lang, a philosophy major
• Kay Scanlan, a psychology major
• Devin Smith, a nursing major
• Amanda Reis, a global studies major

“As a whole, this is a high-achieving group of students who represent a variety of academic majors and bring diverse experiences, ideas and communication styles to the program,” said Chelsea Buffington, program director.

The program will include monthly meetings where students engage in topics ranging from leadership theory and ethics to managing change and vision mapping. Each meeting will feature a dinner during which the fellows will engage with an invited leader, organically learning specific pathways to leadership and attributes of successful leaders.

In the fall, the fellows will travel to Washington, D.C., where they will participate in group meetings with a wide variety of leaders, attend a reception honoring the program and engage in team-building exercises.

Each student will also shadow an Aquidneck Island leader and participate in teams of four in a service project that they design and implement themselves. The students will also attend quarterly luncheons with fellows who have already completed the program. In spring 2016, they will present an individual presentation on their shadowing experience and a group presentation on their service project. At the end of the year, students will participate in a reception with all cohorts of the Nuala Pell Leadership Program along with invited leaders.