Aspire Fellows

In the Aspire Fellows cohort program, mid-career and senior faculty members will engage in reflective practices to plan for the next phase of their careers. Fellows will build upon their existing successes and strengths to create and complete a signature project that will extend their professional impact. To support this project, each fellow will formulate and adopt an individual professional development plan and engage in a series of workshops that augment skills, including project management, leadership and communication. The program fosters strong community connections across the university and empowers seasoned faculty to navigate their role in the complex higher education landscape. Read more in this article on the 2025-2026 Aspire Fellows cohort.

Competencies

Aspire Fellows gain:

• Framework to support successful completion of a signature project, designed by each Fellow
• Augmented skills essential to success as senior faculty (i.e., project management, leadership, team building, and communication)
• An approach to planning for the changing demands of faculty life
• Connection and collaboration with a cross-disciplinary community of peers
• Enhanced knowledge and skills learned from sustained, individualized professional development
• Meetings with UGA experts who are selected by Aspire Fellows

Audience and Selection Process

The Office of Faculty Affairs invites associate professors, professors and mid-career/senior faculty on any career track who want to work towards an aspirational goal in a structured environment. Applications are due by Friday, May 15, 2026.

Apply here.

Applicants nominate themselves and include a letter from their supervisor in the application. Once applications have been reviewed, finalists will have a 15-minute video meeting with Dr. Carney, Senior Director of Faculty and Leadership Development. Then, acceptance emails to selected fellows will follow.

You will upload the following documents:

• Statement of interest (1-2 pages) that includes:
  1. Name, title, email address
  2. College, school, or related unit
  3. Current aspirations, experience, and skills that you want to leverage for next stage of your career
  4. Idea for a signature project that will take you to new horizons in your career
  5. Expectations for how your participation in Aspire cohort will contribute to your success and that of your unit
• Curriculum Vitae
• A brief letter of support (1 page) from the candidate’s supervisor discussing motivation, potential and commitment to identify and achieve an aspirational goal.

Calendar

August 2026 to March 2027. Participants agree to devote approximately 6 hours per month. Further, participants will affirm that they can attend the scheduled meetings below.

Meetings will take place on Tuesdays from 9:00-11:00 a.m. in New College, Room 315. These meetings are in-person and will include coffee and light refreshments.

Fall 2026

• August 25
• September 15
• October 13
• November 3
• December 1

Spring 2027

• January 12
• February 9
• March 2
• March 30