
The Leadership Academy is an online (synchronous) interactive professional development program welcoming students from groups that are historically marginalized in technology and engineering. It consists of 3 afternoon sessions per week, for 6 weeks. It is followed by a 9-month mentorship program that meets monthly, online, and in mentoring groups.
SUMMER ONLINE PROGRAM: JULY 10, 2023 TO AUGUST 18, 2023.
WITH FOLLOW-ON MENTORING WITH INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS: SEP. 2023 UNTIL MAY 2024.
Applications are now closed and the Leadership Academy Class of 2023-24 is full.
Questions? Email: leadershipacademy@umass.edu

Community
We create a community of students from diverse backgrounds who are on a shared journey in tech or engineering. You will work closely with each other, develop friendships, and become each others' cheerleaders. Past cohorts of Leadership Academy students have included large numbers of women, Black and Latinx students, first-generation college students, and those with LGBTQ identities.

Skills
Students develop leadership strategies to thrive in college and launch their careers. Inspiration comes from visiting speakers who are professionals from different industries, with diverse identities, allowing students to engage on an array of career opportunities that fits their interests.

Mentorship
The 6-week summer internship program is followed by a 9-month mentorship program with a focus on career exploration, development of leadership skills, and growing professional networks to access apprenticeship and internship opportunities. Mentorship groups meet monthly to work on specific individual goals.
The Organizers & Teaching Team
The Academy is organized by the Institute of Diversity Sciences network of researchers, educators and outreach professionals, business leaders and students funded by the National Science Foundation and housed at UMass Amherst. The network is led by Dr. Nilanjana Buju Dasgupta and a core team from the University of Massachusetts system, in collaboration with the larger Massachusetts community.
The Academy is conducted by Dr. Rati Thanawala, 2018 Advanced Leadership Fellow at Harvard. Dr. Thanawala spent 39 years in tech. She created and piloted this program with a grant from Pivotal Ventures, a Melinda Gates Company.
The negotiation component of the curriculum is led by Dr. Hannah Riley Bowles, who chairs the Management, Leadership, and Decision Sciences area at Harvard Kennedy School.