Mason Soneral Faculty Fellow

The Mason Soneral Women's Leadership Institute (WLI) Faculty Fellow is responsible for assisting the Director in advancing the mission and impact of the Institute through innovative curricular, mentoring, and outreach activities. This role is intended for faculty who demonstrate a passion for leadership development and supporting WLI’s mission.

Supporter Spotlight

Christine Mason Soneral is a visionary. It was her vision, a conversation, and a bagel that started what we know today as the Women’s Leadership Institute (WLI). The location was Panera Bread, the city was Brighton, Michigan, and the subject igniting women leaders. Christine, a founding executive board member, and Alex Tripp, Director of Advancement for the College of Social Science, had that first meeting. Over coffee, they talked about accomplishments, giving back, and inspiring the next generation of women leaders. The initial vision for the institute included the following tenets: programming for undergraduate students, growing a strong alumni base, being data-driven and research-based, and having a meaningful connection with university faculty. Since that first meeting, Christine has poured her time, energy, passion, and support into the growth and sustainability of the WLI. Christine’s commitment to the WLI and desire to see the institute advance led her to form the Mason Soneral Faculty Fellowship. The fellowship added prestige to the WLI and brought a leader alongside the WLI director to help execute the mission and vision of the institute.

Dr. Amanda Guinot Talbot, the inaugural Mason Soneral Faculty Fellow, said this of her time as the fellow, “Being the first Mason Soneral Faculty Fellow has been one of the highlights of my career. It has not only been a position in which I have created evidence-based signature programming and curriculum, engaged with students, and interacted with alumna. More importantly, it has been a position that encouraged me to grow personally and professionally. Christine’s warmth and genuine care for me made all of the difference. She has always been by my side cheering me on, pushing me to greater heights, and supporting whatever I needed to succeed. I took this position thinking I would help ignite women leaders, and in the end, I was the one who was ignited.”

Past Mason Soneral Faculty Fellows

MSU programs and activities are not restricted based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, national origin or other protected personal identity. This program is open to students without restriction or preference based on protected personal identity. The WLI welcomes full participation of all interested students regardless of sex.