Penn State Great Valley's Master of Leadership Development (MLD) program equips people across all industries and sectors--including corporate, non-profit, community, faith-based, etc.--to take on greater leadership roles, and mentor and inspire others to be leaders. John J. Sosik--professor-in-charge of the MLD program and professor of management and organization at Penn State Great Valley--says the program provides a leadership skills set that "transcends all professions."
For Jay Wischum of Jamison, Pa, a student in the MLD program since 2006 who is graduating in May, the program has had a major impact on his career as a territorial distribution leader at Allstate Insurance Company.
"I was in a leadership position with Allstate and was looking for a proven, research-based methodology to help me become a better leader," said Wischum. "I have found without exception that every Penn State Great Valley course--and, quite frankly, almost every single class session--has provided practical, applicable ideas, strategies or perspectives that I could utilize the next day at work."
Wischum is active in several community organizations, including the Rotary Club of Hatboro and Hatboro YMCA, and he said the same skills he is learning in the MLD program that help him be more effective at work pay dividends in his volunteer ventures and at home.
"This program has emphasized the importance of mentoring and serving others, and continually affects how I work with any individual, group, or team," he said. Wischum has even inspired his daughter, Erinn, of Philadelphia, to enter the MLD program. Using skills learned in the program, both have excelled.
"After about three months of hearing his dynamic stories and reading interesting articles my father passed along, I became energized by his inspirational energy and enrolled in the program," said Erinn, an employee at United States Liability Insurance Group who will complete her degree later this year. "The Master's of Leadership Development at PSGV has exceeded my every expectation. The brilliant professors, the diverse student body, and the corporate campus create a positive and productive environment conducive to learning about the science of leadership."
Penn State Great Valley's Master of Leadership Development degree is a selective and challenging 11-course program based on the expressed needs of local corporations and organizations. Anyone interested in learning more about the program can attend the free MLD "Leadership in Action" event on April 16, during which current and former students will demonstrate how they are using their leadership skills to make a difference at work, in the community and, in some cases, around the world. The program will be held from 5:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. in the Safeguard Scientifics Building on campus.
Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies is located at 30 E. Swedesford Road, in Malvern. For information on the MLD program, or for information or to pre-register for "Leadership in Action," call 610-648-3248 or go to www.gv.psu.edu/psuleadership.
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