Prelims

Half Title Page

Leadership Talks

Series Title Page

Great Debates in Higher Education is a series of short, accessible books addressing key challenges to and issues in higher education, on a national and international level. These books are research informed but debate driven. They are intended to be relevant to a broad spectrum of researchers, students, and administrators in higher education and are designed to help us unpick and assess the state of higher education systems, policies, and social and economic impacts.

Title Page

Leadership Talks: Candid Conversations with Academic Leaders

By

Frank Fernandez

University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

Hilary L. Coulson

The Pennsylvania State University, USA

And

Yali Zou

University of Houston, USA

United Kingdom – North America – Japan – India – Malaysia – China

Copyright Page

Emerald Publishing Limited

Emerald Publishing, Floor 5, Northspring, 21-23 Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 4DL

First edition 2025

Copyright © 2025 Frank Fernandez, Hilary L. Coulson and Yali Zou.

Published under exclusive licence by Emerald Publishing Limited.

Reprints and permissions service

Contact: www.copyright.com

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without either the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying issued in the UK by The Copyright Licensing Agency and in the USA by The Copyright Clearance Center. Any opinions expressed in the chapters are those of the authors. Whilst Emerald makes every effort to ensure the quality and accuracy of its content, Emerald makes no representation implied or otherwise, as to the chapters' suitability and application and disclaims any warranties, express or implied, to their use.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-83753-555-2 (Print)

ISBN: 978-1-83753-552-1 (Online)

ISBN: 978-1-83753-554-5 (Epub)

Dedication

To those aspiring leaders, may this book serve as a guide and inspiration on your journey to effective and transformative leadership.

FF, HLC, YZ

About the Authors

Frank Fernandez, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at University of Wisconsin, Madison. He writes about educational equity and policy issues and international higher education. He is the co-editor of the award winning The Century of Science: The Global Triumph of the Research University (Emerald, 2017, 2019). He also coedited Gender equity in STEM in higher education: International perspectives on policy, institutional culture, and individual choice (Routledge, 2022) and An Asset-Based Approach to Advancing Latina Students in STEM: Increasing Resilience, Participation, and Success (Routledge, 2021). He cowrote Transformational Leadership: A Case Study for 21st Century Leaders and Aspirational Research Universities (Emerald, 2022) and The Contested Campus: Aligning Professional Values, Social Justice, and Free Speech (NASPA, 2020).

Hilary L. Coulson, PhD, is a Lecturer at the Pennsylvania State University. Her work examines the origins and continuities of core American pillars like universities, schools, and prisons by examining leadership structures, gender, and culture. Coulson has taught about women in leadership, as well as women's studies and qualitative methodologies. She was the lead author of Transformational Leadership: A Case Study for 21st Century Leaders and Aspirational Research Universities (Emerald, 2022).

Yali Zou, PhD, is a Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies and University Endowed Professor for Global Leadership Studies at the University of Houston. She is also the Director of Asian American Studies Center and the Asian International Program. Dr Zou is the author of eight books and has published numerous articles in the United States and China. Her research focuses on comparative education, cross-cultural and transnational issues, and global leadership. Dr Zou consults with universities and corporations nationally and internationally and leads global leadership development programs in education, public administration, and business administration. She is also a frequent public speaker in the United States, China, and Europe.

Acknowledgments

When we published Transformational University Leadership: A Case Study for 21st Century Leaders and Aspirational Research Universities with Emerald, our goal was to offer a different perspective on academic leadership than what is usually taught in higher education leadership courses. That case study was compelling. Chancellor Renu Khator and University of Houston's success was hidden in plain sight – remarkable but taken for granted. We sought to share the story of how personal and institutional histories and ambitions were so well aligned that a university was totally transformed in athletics, culture, enrollment, fundraising, and research.

After Transformational Leadership, we knew we had only scratched the surface in our efforts to showcase how a new generation of aspiring academic leaders could go about their work. Once again we approached Emerald and asked them to work with us to publish a follow-up book that would profile a group of leaders working at different types of colleges and universities. We are forever grateful to Kim Chadwick and Emerald for supporting this effort. We thank Sashikala Balasubramanian for helping us prepare the manuscript for submission. We also acknowledge Kirsty Woods and Lydia Cutmore who worked with us to move the book to publication and market it so diligently.

This book could not have happened without the support of the Asian American Studies Center and the College of Education at University of Houston. Under the leadership of Dean Catherine Horn, the College of Education is thriving, which allows the Center to pursue interdisciplinary and cross-institutional collaborations, such as this book. Both the College and Center work tirelessly to provide educational leadership to one of the largest and most diverse cities in the United States. Their model of leadership as service is inspirational in its own right.

Finally, we acknowledge the leaders who allowed us to interview them for this book. Their candor served as inspiration for the title of this book. They were forthcoming and transparent, generous and graceful. We learned so much from them. We are glad to share those lessons now with those who read this text.