Q & A with Interim President Dr. Helen K. Lafferty

FEATURE

Q & A with Interim President Dr. Helen K. Lafferty

In October 2022, the Youngstown State University Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Helen K. Lafferty as interim president of YSU upon the departure of President Jim Tressel. Lafferty, long-time professor and administrator at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, will assume the interim role on Feb. 1, 2023, and will serve in that role while the Board undertakes a national search for YSU’s 10th president.

Lafferty, looking forward to her time on campus, took some time to share with YSU Magazine a little bit about her background, her goals as interim president and what YSU means to her.

“I am thrilled and excited to be serving Youngstown State University as the Interim President,” says Lafferty. “I am coming home and it is simply a great place to be — I am back where it all started. The Ursuline Sisters and YSU set the stage for me. Hopefully, I have made them proud, using the gifts they gave me to make others' lives better.”

Share with us a bit about your background, and specifically about your journey into higher education?
I was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, the oldest of three daughters. After graduating from Ursuline High School, I enrolled at YSU where I received my Bachelor of Science degree and then my Master of Science degree. After I married (my husband is also a graduate of YSU) we moved to Pittsburgh, where I was appointed principal of a high school and began working on my Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh. Shortly thereafter, we moved to Philadelphia, and I began working at Villanova University. I have held a number of positions there: associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University Vice President for 16 years, graduate faculty member in the Department of Education and Counseling, teaching graduate students in the higher education track. Recently, I was appointed Global/National member of the YSU Board of Trustees, a position I held for two years until I was appointed interim president.

What is your leadership style?
My leadership style/s are determined by the issues/concerns needing decisions. Primarily, I follow a transformational style of leadership combining it with a social justice model of leadership. I believe that effective and inclusive leadership has the power to advance humanity in productive ways that make us all better. As Eleanor Roosevelt reminds us: "Good leaders inspire people to have confidence in their leaders. Great leaders inspire people to have confidence in themselves."

What does the role of interim president mean for you, and can you share your top priorities? What do you hope to accomplish as interim president?
Being interim president at YSU means I have a limited time with the community. While my stay will not be a lengthy one, I am confident that our working together will be both productive and purposeful, centered on advancing the YSU mission and the Strategic Plan. As stated in the mission: "YSU is an institution of opportunity: YSU inspires individuals, enhances futures, and enriches lives." My interim presidency will focus on these objectives, especially for our students. We are a student-centered University built on academic excellence, using the gifts we have been given to enrich our culture and region.

Spring semester is a really exciting time on campus, what are you looking forward to most in the coming months?
I am really looking forward to immersing myself in the various activities of campus during my time here. Universities are exciting places to work, since the future of our world is right here with us each day. They are in our classrooms, on our athletic fields, in our student life and service offices. They do extraordinary things, and I intend to enjoy and rejoice in all of it during my presidency.

YSU obviously means a lot to you. Thinking about the transition to a new president, what do you hope for the future of YSU?
My hope is that YSU continues to be that strong beacon of opportunity it has become. YSU is blessed with excellent faculty, dedicated staff and terrific students. Learning is our focal point and purpose. We can expect great things when we stay focused on learning and serving in meaningful ways.

What does this transition mean for the Plan for Strategic Actions to Take Charge of Our Future?
Our Strategic Plan is an organic and living document. Hopefully, it will change with the changing needs of students and faculty and be under constant growth and revision. I believe the best decisions are always the ones that can be reassessed. YSU is blessed with a Strategic Plan that is future-oriented, always reflecting the needs of the University community.

How long do you anticipate serving in the interim position? Are you interested in the permanent position, will you be a candidate as the university looks for a new president?
I will be the interim president until the search process has concluded and the permanent president has been named. I will not be a candidate for the position.

If you had to describe YSU in three words, what would they be?
If asked to describe YSU in three words, I would say it is a place "transforming minds and hearts!”