Profiles in Mentoring: Katie Friesen on Cultivating Academic Leadership in Higher Education

Katie Friesen, PhD., is an incoming Assistant Professor of Higher Education Leadership in the Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology at Florida Atlantic University. Her research examines academic leadership programs and their role in advancing interdisciplinary, intercultural, and collaborative leadership in higher education, and her career has spanned roles in curriculum design, first-year experience coordination, and faculty development. We recently had the opportunity of speaking with Dr. Friesen about her recent paper on elevating the leadership development of peer mentors!

The Chronicle (C): What initially sparked your interest in studying peer mentor leadership?

Katie Friesen (KF): I was a peer mentor for an introductory leadership class as an undergraduate student. The experience was so powerful, it has become a pillar of my practice in higher education.

C: What surprised you most about how students practiced leadership in their mentoring roles?

KF: I was most surprised with the way students responded to the responsibility and expectations they had for their mentees in the role. Some students responded with the pressure by focusing on developing safety and trust and others on exerting authority and control.

C: What do you see as the most important ways institutions can apply this model to strengthen mentor training and development?

KF: When institutions apply this model, it is significantly important to share the model with students during training, prepare interventions throughout the mentoring experience for reflection and feedback, and be sure to model the leadership practice we ask our students to practice.