Dr. Hari M. Osofksy Presents Seminar on Effective Leadership
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The College of Arts and Architecture’s Center for Pedagogy in Arts and Design presented a Women in Leadership Seminar featuring Hari M. Osofsky, the dean of Penn State Law and the School of International Affairs, through Zoom on Monday, March 29.
Osofsky is the distinguished professor of law, professor of international affairs and professor of geography.
This seminar’s goal was to prepare women and women of color in the Penn State community to be effective leaders.
In the seminar, Osofsky discussed her personal narrative, detailing her journey to leadership with a Q&A at the end of her session.
Osofsky acknowledged the disadvantages and the advantages she has as a white woman.
“My leadership journey that I will be talking about today is fundamentally shaped by being a white woman,” Osofsky said. “That positionality and my privilege as a white person both affect my leadership journey.”
She explained how it is important for her as a white leader and a good ally and compliance for anti-racism to actively intervene in microaggressive situations.
She said she used her privilege as a white woman to address microaggressions and believed it was a critical importance for leaders to act as an intervener.
“The importance as a leader of active intervention with permission,” Osofsky said. “I think this is particularly important for those of us who are white leaders.”
Osofky’s seminar’s purpose was to inform students about the importance of leadership while educating them about the effectiveness of it.
Kayla Marrero is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email kdm5691@psu.edu.