Catherine Ludlum Foos and Margaret Thomas Evans became department chairs at Indiana University East at the same time. They found out in April and took their positions in August with little formal preparation—a fairly common experience in higher education. Foos, chair of the department of arts and culture, had been teaching 100- and 200-level courses exclusively and welcomed the intellectual challenge and variety of the chair role. Evans, chair of the English department, had been director of the honors program for a couple of years and missed the leadership role when she stepped down before a sabbatical. In an interview with Academic Leader, these two chairs shared what has helped them in their first two years as chair and offered advice to aspiring chairs and those who supervise chairs.
Leading Like Lasso: Leadership Skills That Build and Sustain Positive Organizational Culture
On his first day coaching English football, Ted Lasso, played by Jason Sudeikis, walks into the locker room with no playbook, no soccer experience, and no intention of pretending he
Deborah Erickson and Katie Fischer
September 2, 2025
