Dr.Robin C.

Undergraduate Degree
- Started in Accounting
- Shifted to Management due to interest in Organizational Behavior
- Fascination with understanding why people act the way they do
- Interest in roles and dynamics of behavior
Attended Southeastern Louisiana University
- Completed undergraduate degree in four years
Pursued MBA at University of New Orleans right after
- Advice: Suggested it is better to gain some work experience before pursuing an advanced degree.

Typical college hustle: waited tables in multiple places
- Gained valuable experience in teamwork, managing difficult situations, and multitasking.

Inspired by a family member's success in real estate.
Targeted a marketing internship in commercial real estate.
- Showed persistence by continually calling to get more information.
- After weeks of unanswered messages, received a callback due to persistence.
Lesson learned: The importance of determination and persistence in professional opportunities.

Job involved cold calling up to 100 companies a day
- Did not enjoy the sales aspect of the job.
- Worked in an unhealthy work environment:
- Boss exhibited unethical behavior, invading personal boundaries.
- Experience led to feelings of unhappiness and lack of success.

Transition to being a recruiter for a financial services company.
- Liked interacting with various people but worked under a similar unhealthy environment.
- Recognized the need for personal and professional growth during this time.

Took a moment in her twenties to reassess career direction after two unsatisfactory job experiences.
Engaged a career coach for guidance.
Identified career interest in helping people and working in a college environment.
- Pursued a PhD in Organizational Behavior at LSU, seeking to understand effective management and leadership.

First job after PhD at Winthrop University.
Transitioned to KSU after realizing potential.
- Reached out to faculty members and eventually applied for a position.
Proposed by her husband shortly after getting hired, leading to a successful partnership.

Became an interim department chair after being tapped by a colleague.
Initially declined due to family obligations but later reassessed her capacity for leadership.
- Family remained a priority but recognized that she had the support needed to accept roles.
Experience with leadership roles:
- Leadership viewed as a partnership, balancing family and professional responsibilities.

Started as interim dean in February 2019, faced challenges due to COVID-19 shortly after.
Emphasized making choices aligned with personal values and family commitments.
Advocated for a collaborative culture in the college.

Importance of personal experiences shaping leadership perspective.
Advice: Each person must know their strengths and weaknesses and articulate their needs in a professional context.
Highlighted how poor work experiences provided valuable lessons about leadership for future roles.

Acknowledged generational differences in work-life balance considerations among students.
Encouraged students to stretch themselves in safe environments:
- Engaging in teamwork in academic settings to surmount discomforts associated with professional vulnerability.
Suggested practical focus areas:
- Embrace discomfort as a catalyst for growth and confidence in professional contexts.

Expressed joy in working with students and witnessing their development.
The “light bulb moment” is a joyous part of teaching, more pronounced in face-to-face interactions.

Stressed the value of saying "yes" more often to pursue opportunities while maintaining awareness of personal limits to avoid overcommitting.
Encouraged students to actively seek ways to engage with professionals to develop confidence in networking and leadership skills.

Provided insights on student and faculty recruitment strategies to promote diversity.
- Emphasized the naturally diverse population at KSU and the effectiveness of storytelling about the institution and its programs.

Described leadership style as primarily relationship-oriented.
Acknowledged a shift into a more blended style balancing task-oriented elements as a dean.