Tag: leadership award

NORDP 2023 Leadership Award: Edel Minogue

by Kirsten Abel

Who: Edel Minogue, Senior Director of Research Strategy and Development

Where: Brown University 

Number of years in research development: 8

Length of NORDP membership: 8

What does leadership mean to you? 

Leadership is a dynamic skill; you have to adapt and evolve based on the needs of your team and the environment at the time. I don’t see leadership as a single skill you have in your toolbox but a collection of skills that you mold and shape based on the circumstances. 

How did you learn or develop your style of leadership? 

It is not ‘developed’ but developing. Those around me have influenced me, and continue to influence me. I have always had very strong female leads- from my Ph.D. advisor, postdoc advisor, my current supervisor, Dr. Jill Pipher, Vice President for Research, and the person who hired me here at Brown, Dr. Amy Carroll. She could see that even though I had no prior experience in research development per se, I had those translatable skills to be successful both in the field and as a leader. With all these role models, I could choose from a buffet of leadership styles to find what would work for me personally. 

How does your membership in NORDP develop your leadership style? 

I have always tried to have my own personal advisory board, and some of these folks were on there in the early years. It is important to have sounding boards outside of your immediate environment, but at the same time, those who understand your work area and your needs and challenges. NORDP has been instrumental in creating that network. It’s been invaluable to know that I had those people in my corner and that I could call them if I needed their expertise. I really like to inspire and motivate others to grow in their professional career, and I have learned from my mentors.

What relationships have you built as a result of NORDP, and how have these relationships influenced your work? 

Anne Windham (now the Associate Dean of Faculty at Brown) introduced me to NORDP and introduced me to many of those who started and created this organization and really pioneered the idea that this was a unique career field that has previously been overlooked. They pushed me to be more active in NORDP and I was. I just rotated off the NORDP NE Advisory Committee, I am the NORDP liaison to the European Commission and serve on various committees, which has really enhanced my knowledge and scope. The network of folks I see on a regular basis now spans the globe, and that is because of NORDP. 

What do you wish you would have known when you began your leadership journey within NORDP? 

Between working at Los Alamos National Lab and leading a  startup with a critical need to be protective over intellectual property and patents, I came from a world that was very secretive and confidential. Then I came over to NORDP! A place where everybody shared everything, and I remember saying, “Don’t they realize they are giving away all their secrets?”. But I realized we all have a common goal – to enable  the best research in the nation, irrespective of where it comes from. This open exchange of ideas and information was definitely something it took me time to learn and become comfortable with. It took me a while to put my thumb on it. 

What have you found most rewarding, and most challenging, about leading within NORDP? In your CAREER? 

The Northeast is a tremendous region, really engaged and active in NORDP. We have done a lot of listening, especially during COVID, to identify and respond to people’s needs, and I do that within my own team. NORDP is a ‘community of leaders’ – for everyone. Even if you don’t have that title today, you probably will one day, and it is cultivating those skills and relationships and elevating others that is especially rewarding. 

What advice do you have for others within NORDP who are looking to develop as leaders? 

Push yourself out of your comfort zone, join committees, and become involved. Even if you don’t have much expertise in a certain area, but you have an interest, there will be others who will support you along the way; that’s what is so great about NORDP. Use the NORDP community to create your own personal advisory boards and make those connections.

2022 Leadership Award: Kathy Partlow

As part of the April 27, 2022 NORDP Awards session, NORDP Fellow Jan Abramson presented the 2022 NORDP Leadership Award with heartfelt emotion to her peer, colleague and friend — Kathy Partlow. The NORDP Leadership Award “honors a member, a group of members or team, an RD unit, or an organization that demonstrates exceptional leadership and/or a deep commitment to volunteerism in ways that advance the profession or field of RD.”

Jan began her recognition of Kathy with a quote from Peter Strople, former director of Dell Computer Corporation — “Legacy is not leaving something for people, it’s leaving something in people. The legacy of leadership begins at the first moment of impact.” Jan’s moment of impact with Kathy began when they worked together on the Mentoring Committee. Whether we know it or not, our NORDP experiences have been touched in some way by Kathy’s quiet, behind-the-scenes leadership. 

Jess Brassard from the Communications Working Group interviewed Kathy about her take on leadership. 

Who: Kathy Parlow

Where: Remote-working from Oklahoma. Note: Kathy participated in this interview in her personal capacity. 

Number of years in research development: 10

Length of NORDP membership: 10

What is leadership to you? 

KP: Formally, I am a co-chair of the Mentoring Committee and the lead for the Evaluation & Innovation team. Broadly, I believe leadership is noticing that one is in a position to to bring others up. This can happen from any title or position. Leadership also means having a big-picture, strategic mindset to guide a group of people toward the group’s mission.

How did you learn or develop your style of leadership? 

KP: My style of leadership is focused on others. I use the unit’s mission as a meter. My contributions started small and really grew as I became passionate about mentoring. Along the way, other leaders mentored me and helped me “settle in” to the style that best suits me. I was very much mentored into my servant leadership style.

How does your membership in NORDP develop your leadership style? 

KP: I came to a point in my career where there was no pathway to leadership in my job and had a mentor that encouraged me to think more broadly about where I could gain leadership experience. I chose to develop my leadership capabilities outside my “day job” through volunteering and community service. 

What relationships have you built as a result of NORDP, and how have these relationships influenced your work? 

KP: I have connected to amazing colleagues and formed lasting friendships through mentee/mentor relationships and volunteer activities. Their guidance is infused through my work and career journey. I learned to be active and intentional about building relationships. Within the Mentoring Committee, I take it to heart. It’s the foundation of everything the Mentoring Committee does. 

What do you wish you would have known when you began your leadership journey within NORDP? 

KP: I wish I would have known earlier that leadership is a gentle pathway. It doesn’t need to be a switch that is flipped. I eased into the time commitment. The “rising co-chair model” of the Mentoring Committee and other NORDP committees helps with transitions. I appreciate the co-leadership and support this model enables. 

What have you found most rewarding, and most challenging, about leading within NORDP? In your CAREER? 

KP: As far as the most challenging — the Mentoring Committee leadership team saw the need to adapt to a growing NORDP. That meant large initiatives were needed to adapt and diversify the resources for mentoring (e.g. peer mentoring groups (PMGs) and implementing Wisdom Share mentoring software ). The reward from this hard work has been the feasibility of supporting record-breaking numbers of NORDP Mentoring Program participants. . 

By far, the most rewarding part of NORDP is the people. I love to recognize and celebrate with NORDP volunteers in these accomplishments (and all the mini-milestones throughout). 

What advice do you have for others within NORDP who are looking to develop as leaders? 

KP: My advice is to choose a measured path. Most NORDP leadership roles allow you to ease into them. Make small contributions at first. Share your time and skills in areas that interest you. Find reward in the volunteer work.