I am a transformational leader, dedicated to creating collaborative spaces that drive innovation, eliminating barriers to success, and establishing practices that enhance inclusive excellence in the academy. My passion is team cohesion and individual development through positive coaching techniques. I have over 20 years of experience in higher education and have been supervising professionals since 2010.
At the University Design Institute (https://udi.asu.edu/), I lead the enterprise design initiatives practice. This work focuses on supporting educational transformation across Arizona State University (ASU). We work in partnership with ASU executive leaders to build inclusive, equitable, co-design spaces that unlock everyone's potential for change.
Prior to this position, I founded and led two offices dedicated to advancing research excellence in academia. Under my leadership, Research Development became a boutique consultancy available for free to all university staff and faculty at ASU. The office has been noted as a model for Research Development nationally. As executive director, I managed a team of 10 individuals, across four functional units. I designed and led multiple presentations and programs over the years. One of these is the Proposal Development Workshop series, which started in 2014. A hallmark of my work is the ability to leverage a vast network to identify and invite expert presenters. I established the position of proposal manager and proposal manager senior at ASU, along with the formal introduction of industry best practices for proposal development such as formal reviews.
I served on the Board of Directors of the National Organization for Research Development Professionals (NORDP) from 2019 until 2023 during unprecedented growth in membership and through a transition to hybrid work environments post-COVID. I am a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Lesotho '97 - '99) and am a former Editor in Chief of the magazine of the Association for Women in Science (AWIS). I am a member of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) and certified at the second of three levels. I am a founding member of the Knowledge Enterprise Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Task Force (2021 – 2023).
Please connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/fayefarmer1/en