This summer, Julie Owen, associate professor in the School of Integrative Studies served as the Scholar in Residence at the International Experiential Learning Institute in St. John’s, Newfoundland. As part of the institute, Owen led a range of workshops and sessions for more than 40 professionals in the field of experiential education. The institute theme was Engaging Imagination: Using Experiential Learning to Foster Creative, Critical, and Reflective Thinking.
While in Newfoundland, Owen led participants in sessions focused on: inquiry, identity, integration, intentionality, impact, imagination and innovation. Owen challenged participants to explore how their own identities influence how they interact with students and approach undergraduate education.
She said, “The institute brought together some of the most active practitioners of experiential education. Although I served as facilitator, everyone contributed equally to our discussions, sharing best practices and new ideas that really inspired me.”
An expert in leadership studies, Owen teaches courses on socially responsible leadership, civic engagement, higher education, and community-based research. She is a scholar for the National Clearinghouse for Leadership Programs (NCLP) and is co-editor of both editions of the Handbook for Student Leadership Development and editor of the inaugural edition of New Directions for Student Leadership.
Owen is active on several national research teams, including the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership – Institutional Survey (MSL-IS) and a research team member with the Leadership Identity Development (LID) project. She is also working with a group from Mason to examine how first-generation students participate in civic engagement and well-being to develop social and academic capital.
Owen’s research and teaching enrich many Mason initiatives including Social Action and Integrative Learning and the Mason Institute for Leadership Excellence. This fall, she is teaching INTS 435: Leadership in a Changing Environment and INTS 204: Leadership Theory and Practice.
September 30, 2016
