Today, the College of Engineering welcomes Dr. Kathryn Meier as its new Assistant Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation, the College’s first such position. A 13-year veteran of management, communications, and business roles at the University of Delaware, Meier will work closely with associate deans, department heads, and other senior staff to broaden the visibility of CoE. In this outward-facing role, she will create strategic growth opportunities. She will expand CoE marketing, recruitment, and corporate and alumni relations. And she will drive advancements in research, education, and outreach.
Meier sat down for a Q&A to describe her approach and the plans she’ll be developing in concert with Dr. Sharon L. Walker, Dean of the College of Engineering, and members of the dean’s senior leadership team.
Q: You are coming to Drexel following 13 years at the University of Delaware. What part of your experience at UD will be most applicable here?
Kathryn Meier
A: As a long-time higher education administrator, I am invested in the success of the next generation and in bridging the work of faculty and students with public and private sectors of the community. At first glance, it might seem that UD and Drexel are quite different. But I believe that no matter what institution you serve (or area within an institution), commitment to student success and the pursuit of new knowledge translates across disciplines and across institutions. I have had the privilege of serving in three different colleges over the course of my career at UD, from arts and sciences to the business school to marine and earth studies. This broad range of experience will greatly inform my transition to Drexel’s CoE.
In terms of the AD role itself, over the last decade I have launched teams, processes, and projects in multiple inaugural roles. I find inspiration in creating new things. Having been through the organizational design process before, I see parallels with this position. I am honored to define this new AD role in partnership with Dean Walker and the CoE senior leadership team.
Q: As a direct counsel to senior staff at UD, how did you work to advance their goals?
A: I think acting in any direct counsel role at its core is about collaborative relationship building mixed with research and data collection. Having firsthand experience with academic scholarship helps. But you also need to understand what drives people, and it takes effort to build those relationships. Taking the time to discover what people’s personal and professional goals are and how those align with institutional goals is important. In other words, what have we done in the past? Where do we want to be in the future? How do we get there together? At the same time, understanding the broader higher education landscape, current research, activities at peer institutions, and collecting and analyzing data in relation to those goals is also key to providing guidance for informed decision-making.
Q: Why were you interested in taking on this new role at CoE?
A: Some of my previous academic work was in organizational development and change. And as I mentioned earlier, I enjoy creating new things. So the opportunity to launch this effort with Dean Walker and the leadership team appealed to me very much. I like to look at the big picture. This role has a fairly broad scope, and I’m looking forward to the range of responsibilities it encompasses. I also enjoy working with and learning from others with academic backgrounds different from my own. I’ve worked with scientists, artists, economists … but not engineers. The idea of staying in higher education but working with colleagues in a new discipline is very exciting.
Q: Would you broadly define the role as you see it?
A: Drexel’s CoE is at an inflection point with new leadership building on a strong foundation. As AD, my job is to facilitate strategic planning and advance the College’s mission as it relates to external relations. In terms of developing and managing the strategic growth opportunities, that means I’ll be working closely with the dean, associate deans, department heads, and senior college staff to extend the visibility of research activities, assist with new program development, and support external corporate and community partnerships. Yet while it’s one of the more outward-facing positions of the senior leadership team, I also see this as a highly collaborative role with colleagues internally. Whether the work is related to alumni engagement, communications, or recruitment and outreach, I’ll be working closely with colleagues across the college to leverage those activities, as well.
Q: How difficult is it for higher ed institutions to get their messages out to external audiences, and are there some mistakes we all make?
A: One of the unique things about messaging in higher ed is that while we are all different institutions, we are all working towards common goals like student success, inclusion, and generating new knowledge to advance the common good. So, the question is, how do we send a message to outside stakeholders that differentiates us from our peers? I’ve conducted quite a bit of research on how storytelling is used to engage audiences, and build culture and identity in corporations. “Storytelling” can be reduced to a buzz word, and I think when it is viewed as a singular task, that can be a mistake. Instead, we need to think of storytelling as a powerful tool that, when used strategically, can speak to themes that resonate broadly and highlight what distinguishes one from all. A challenge, too, is the depth and breadth of fascinating activity – technical work, research, student internships and more – within each institution. So the follow-up question is, how do we facilitate cohesive storytelling that makes individual programs stand out yet shares the same voice and overall approach so that external audiences hear the story and think, “Oh, right, that’s ABC College.” I believe this holistic approach to storytelling goes a long way in everything from faculty and student recruitment to alumni engagement.
Q: CoE is Drexel’s flagship college, but our program needs revitalization. How can a strategic planning position address that?
A: That’s one of the benefits of being familiar with higher education and coming from outside the institution itself: having a fresh perspective. I have no preconceived notions of who or what Drexel engineering “is.” My goal is to learn that from you – the faculty, staff, and students – so we can build a plan and a process for raising the visibility of CoE and addressing the challenges. My role as AD, then, is to facilitate that feedback gathering, goal setting, and process planning as we determine together what that “new life” should be.
Q: Can we break your role down into its constituent parts?
A: Well, at the broadest level, my role is to provide leadership and support for: advancing the academic mission/new program opportunities; advancing research; recruiting and outreach; enhancing the visibility of the college; fostering a spirt of innovation; and partnering with IA to improve alumni and corporate relations. To be effective externally, my work begins internally, so a key theme among each of these areas will be developing collaborative relationships with partners across campus. Doing this will afford me a clearer picture of people’s ideas and goals for new program development, new and emerging areas of faculty research, needs around attracting and retaining undergraduate and graduate students, and opportunities to engage alumni, friends, and external partners. And ultimately, each of these efforts will work to expand resources available to faculty and students and raising the visibility of CoE.
This in turn relates to innovation: how can we approach activities in each area in previously uncharted ways? My father always used to say, “Look for the solution, not the problem.” To me, innovation is a form of solution-seeking, and as long as you approach challenges with positivity and optimism, they can be exciting. The key is to be open to new ideas and new ways of doing things. As AD then, my job is to help make the case for thoughtful, intentional, and strategic change, all in the context of our academic mission and vision.
Q: How do you plan to proceed? Where do you start?
A: As a new member of the Drexel community, it is important to me that I become familiar with the current landscape of activities, programs, and people. I’ve done listening tours in previous roles, and I believe this important investment of time is essential to unearthing compelling stories, discovering important networks, and facilitating ongoing dialogue. What I discover through that process will provide a starting point for moving forward in articulating shared goals, identifying key audiences, assessing needs, and allocating resources, as well as the basis for understanding areas of strength and opportunities for growth.
Q: What can CoE staffers and faculty do to foster you in your new role?
A: I am excited to join the Drexel community. In the weeks leading up to my start date, I’ve already felt extremely welcomed, which I appreciate. I’m looking forward to meeting many new colleagues, and for faculty and staff to be candid about sharing their hopes, ideas, and feedback as we get to know one another. The more I know and understand what makes the college faculty, staff, students, and alumni special, the better I can serve as AD and we can work to accomplish great things together.
Q: You were an adjunct professor at UD. Do you hope to do some teaching here at Drexel?
A: While I am open to teaching at Drexel in the future, as I take on this new role keeping in mind the broad scope, my first commitment is to serve CoE in that capacity. I enjoyed teaching in both the English department and business school at UD, and I appreciate the ways in which being in the classroom can inform my work in the dean’s office. So maybe in the future; but for now I hope to engage students in the work we’re doing in the CoE dean’s office in other ways.
Q: Finally, tell us a little bit about yourself.
A: I’m passionate about dogs, photography and travel (and whenever I can combine all three, even better!). In my spare time, I volunteer with a local senior dog rescue. They’re really great animals and I’d love to get the word out about not just rescue dogs, but senior rescue dogs. I currently have two seniors, one adopted and one a permanent hospice foster, and I may just not be able to help adding one more soon! Being able to provide care and support in their sunset years is incredibly rewarding. I enjoy experiencing new cultures and new places, and my husband and I love to travel. I also love photography, and that’s something I do whenever I get the chance. I actually take photographs of the dogs for the current organization I volunteer with, and of course, many travel photos. And for good measure, I’ll add that I enjoy music and the arts, and look forward to being in the Philadelphia community more and experiencing all the culture the city has to offer.