CMU Staff Members Graduate from Regional Leadership Programs
Six Carnegie Mellon University staff members recently graduated from a pair of premier regional leadership programs: Leadership Pittsburgh (LP) and the Leadership Development Initiative (LDI).
Offered by Leadership Pittsburgh Inc., LP and LDI are nomination-only programs designed to empower leaders across southwestern Pennsylvania. Participants represent a wide range of sectors, including business, higher education, government, nonprofits and civic organizations.
The nine-month Leadership Pittsburgh program caters to established senior executives. In addition to three CMU staff members, this year's 58-person cohort included leaders from PNC Bank, Giant Eagle, the Pittsburgh bureaus of Fire and Police, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.
Congratulations to CMU's representatives in the Leadership Pittsburgh XLII cohort:
- Tysen Kendig, vice president, University Communications and Marketing
- Ipek Ozkaya, technical director of AI-native software engineering, Software Engineering Institute
- Kelli Shuman, associate vice president and chief human resources officer, Office of Human Resources
The eight-month Leadership Development Initiative is designed for emerging leaders and young professionals. This year's 52-member cohort featured three CMU participants along with representatives from Pittsburgh Regional Transit, the Pittsburgh Business Times, Peoples Gas, the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh and Fred Rogers Productions.
Congratulations to CMU's representatives in the Leadership Development Initiative XXXIII cohort:
- Megan Carroll, senior business development specialist and product manager, Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center
- Yang Liu, director of pre-college programs, Division of Student Affairs
- Megan Walter, senior director of talent acquisition, Office of Human Resources
"As someone relatively new to the Pittsburgh area, I found that LDI gave me a unique perspective on our region, connected me with inspiring colleagues across sectors and strengthened my leadership approach," said Liu, a native of China who has worked at CMU for four years. "It also gave me the opportunity to explore different neighborhoods. As a lifelong educator, I'm inspired by people who work to uplift children and young adults in our region."
LDI participants work in teams to plan and implement a community impact project within a host community. In addition to addressing local needs, the projects provide valuable learning opportunities for participants, who meet regularly outside scheduled sessions.
"One of my favorite aspects of the program was the opportunity to visit communities across our region that I might not have experienced otherwise," Walter said. "Those visits broadened my perspective and deepened my appreciation for the importance of community engagement, nonprofit work and regional collaboration."
Alexandra Hiniker, director of CMU's Sustainability Initiative, has been accepted into LP for the 2026-27 program year. Mary Glasscock, vice provost for academic budget and financial planning, also was accepted and is deferring her participation until the 2027-28 cycle.