About the Program

Each and every student at Purdue Polytechnic Institute has a multi-million dollar product... themselves! The Leadership Academy increases students' awareness of what makes them unique and students' ability to market themselves.

The Purdue Polytechnic Leadership Academy began as a pilot program in Fall 2015. The Academy works with students to help them gain awareness of how their coursework, industry/business experiences, and extracurricular activities help them develop leadership competencies needed in the 21st century workplace. Students develop this awareness and understanding through self-reflection and training programs designed in conjunction with our industry partners. As part of the Academy, students participate in Leadership Clinics and develop an ePortfolio in which they not only demonstrate their experiences and education but also how their experiences apply to leadership competencies through reflections and artifacts.

Dr. Mesut Akdere, Director of the Academy designed the program in collaboration with our business partners. The Academy staff including graduate research assistants and undergraduate mentors work closely with Polytechnic student leaders to provide guidance, instruction, and support in developing their leadership competencies. As the program continues to grow, there will be more opportunities for undergraduate student leaders at Purdue Polytechnic Institute to gain invaluable experience as program mentors. Past mentees will have the opportunity to become mentors, completing the circle of experience in their leadership journey.

If you would like more information about joining the program, please contact us at leadershipacademy@purdue.edu