The Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership (JNIWL) at Texas Woman’s University recently launched the Center for Leadership Research and Workforce Development, an initiative that aims to position the institution as the national leader in women’s leadership research.
The newly established center will prioritize advancing scholarly research on leadership trends, with a focus on rural entrepreneurship, educational leadership analysis, and elected office participation. Through this research, scholars at TWU will create a comprehensive database of leadership resources and implement a representation tracker that monitors participation in Texas municipal and county government positions.
Additionally, the center will look to develop evidence-based methods for teaching leadership and workforce development skills, such as critical thinking, coachability, effective communication, emotional intelligence, AI literacy, and ethical reasoning. Faculty at TWU will learn to integrate these pedagogies directly into their existing courses, setting their students up for workforce success upon graduation. The center will also feature professional development programs for faculty to advance their own leadership skills and scholarly activity through engagement with regional employers.
“This center represents a comprehensive approach to leadership development,” said Shannon Mantaro, JNIWL’s executive director and chief officer. “We’re not just conducting cutting-edge research — we’re ensuring that research directly informs how we prepare thousands of students with the leadership capabilities employers demand.”