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Thirteen faculty and staff members from across CU Â鶹ӰԺ have been selected for the University of Colorado's Excellence in Leadership Program (ELP), a yearlong experience that brings together high-performing faculty and staff from across the four CU campuses and system office.

Please join us in congratulating the AY 2026–27 cohort:

• Janet Donavan, Director of Undergraduate Studies and Teaching Professor, Political Science
• Marissa Ehringer, Chair and Professor, Integrative Physiology
• Maryam Jamshidi, Associate Professor, Law
• Natalie Kooi Sim Ooi, Teaching Professor, Masters of the Environment
• Kelly Parkes, Chair and Professor, Music Education
• Sriram Sankaranarayanan, Chair and Professor, Computer Science
• Philip White, Associate Professor, University Libraries
• Sarah Zechman, Senior Associate Dean of Faculty and Professor, Leeds School of Business
• Chrissy Harrison, Assistant Dean of Administration, College of Communication, Media, Design & Information
• Carlos Sepulveda, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, Office of the Chancellor
• Kat Dailey, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Health & Wellness, Employee Health & Wellbeing
• Audra Pinkerton, Principal Giving and Strategic Initiatives Officer, Office of Advancement
• Jill Jones, Executive Director of Career Services & Student Employment, Career Services

Leadership development at a university as large and complex as CU requires more than skill-building. Through ELP, fellows participate in monthly sessions, campus visits and conversations with senior leaders from across the CU system and gain a deeper understanding of how decisions, priorities and partnerships connect across campuses.

More than 230 CU Â鶹ӰԺ faculty and staff have taken part since the program launched 26 years ago. Hosted by CU System and supported by the provost and the senior vice chancellor for operations, ELP remains one of the university's signature leadership development opportunities. Merinda McLure, director of faculty and academic leadership development in the Office of Faculty Affairs, and Kristin Martina, organizational development consultant with Campus Human Resources, serve as CU Â鶹ӰԺ liaisons for the ELP.

"The ELP provides fellows with a unique opportunity to build relationships with peers and senior leaders across our CU institutions," said Martina. "Participants consistently tell us that the immersive nature of ELP broadens their understanding of the university system while strengthening their confidence and effectiveness as leaders," McLure added.

As the cohort begins its journey together, these fellows join a growing network of CU leaders committed to advancing the university's mission through collaboration, innovation and service.

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