At the University of Dayton, leaders aren’t expected to be born, nor do they suddenly develop mad leadership skills when they are promoted to a supervisory position or when they read the latest leadership book.
They’re nurtured in the way you would expect of UD — through community, reflection, collaboration, and service to others.
A decade ago, Lee Dixon, a first-generation college graduate from a blue-collar family and a newly tenured faculty member, questioned whether he fit the traditional mold of campus leadership. Then he was nominated for Leadership UD, a homegrown, peer-led program that invites participants to see leadership not as a position, but as a calling rooted in the Marianist mission to use one's gifts for the good of others and to value the gifts of all.
"It sounds so cliché and dramatic, but the program was life-changing for me," Lee said. "I started to learn about what makes us who we are in a way I hadn't before. I started to see that this university is filled with people doing good work for the good of all. I gave myself permission to love UD and its mission."
That shift in perspective changed the course of his career. Rather than leaving UD with his young family, Lee became chair of the psychology department before advancing to associate provost for academic affairs and learning initiatives. Today, his area facilitates Leadership UD, the very program that transformed his understanding of leadership.
Lee recently emailed colleagues with a highlight of the impact of Leadership UD in the 25 years since Deb Bickford, then assistant provost for learning and pedagogy, and Celine O’Neill, then manager of learning and organizational development, launched a pilot program with 18 participants. From that “scrappy start,” 555 faculty and staff have completed the yearlong program, with 292 alumni still making a difference on campus today.
The alumni roster reads like a who’s who in leadership at UD, with vice presidents, deans, department chairs, and other leaders among the mix. A dozen of the program’s alumni comprise the Leadership UD development team, which plans an annual fall kick-off retreat and 10 sessions on topics ranging from “vocation, the common good and leadership as a calling” to “harnessing strengths and self-awareness for effective leadership.” The participants tour facilities, such as the Roger Glass Center, engage in discussions with administrative leaders, volunteer at the Flyer Farm, and read and discuss books like Leading from Within: A Marianist Perspective.
“Leadership UD doesn’t just train people. It anchors them to our mission,” Lee said.
Beth Schwartz, director of employee benefits and wellness, participated in the inaugural class and calls the program “one of the best experiences” of her career. “Leadership UD has been such an overwhelming success because it is one of the true cohort programs that builds relationships and knowledge across and between all areas of the University.”
Bridget Holt, who was recently promoted to assistant dean and senior director of development for the College of Arts and Sciences, graduated in the most recent class. Early in her career, she served as program coordinator for Harvard Business School’s Program for Leadership Development.
“UD’s program is different because of our history and mission,” she said. “The Marianist philosophy infuses how we make decisions. In every session, we learned how our decisions strengthen and continue the Marianist values of the University. How do we treat people with care and concern? How do we ensure that UD is always the best version of itself? There’s always that sense that everyone matters.”
Leadership UD doesn’t simply prepare people to lead. It prepares them to lead the UD way.
(Photo: 2026 Leadership UD cohort)