Program Faculty and Staff

Erica (’03 PhD) founded the Cornell Engineering Leadership Program in 2012 with the goal of developing Cornell engineers whose collaboration and leadership skills match their technical brilliance. Her purpose is to develop courageous leaders; in the words of one of her own mentors, Erica believes that “comfort is overrated” and that people learn best when they’re having fun and being challenged.  She combines her expertise as a research social psychologist and executive coach to design science-based programs with rigor and heart.

Kelly (MBA ’04) has a passion for helping leaders realize their full potential. With over 20 years of executive leadership experience across industries, she expertly blends corporate experience with academic rigor creating hands-on individualized experiences for personal transformation. Kelly focuses on inclusive leadership and oversees the Leadership Skills Clinics. Her passion for out-of-the-box thinking and learning includes leadership with horses, leadership explorations with music, and international leadership adventures. Kelly holds an undergraduate in International Business and Economics from the University of Nevada, an MBA focused in International Sustainability from Cornell, a Masters in Public Health from UCLA, and a PhD in Strategy, Innovation and Management from Oxford University.

Karel is a dedicated faculty member who empowers students to become confident and collaborative leaders. He fosters a learning environment where students discover their unique strengths and develop their own leadership point-of-view. Karel’s approach integrates experiential learning, organizational leadership principles, and strategies for fostering a sense of inclusion and belonging. His current research delves into the experiences of Latinx leaders in STEM fields. As a scholar-practitioner, Karel brings to the classroom his over thirty years of experience coaching and developing leaders at many of the world’s leading organizations. Beyond academia, Karel is a seasoned adventurer, having summited some of the world’s highest peaks, paddled remote waterways, and explored pristine caves.

Rob Parker is a certified professional coach specializing in leaders with a technical background. As the Coaching Program Manager, Rob is responsible for extending the reach of the Engineering Leadership Program by teaching future engineers how to coach themselves and their teams.  He also consults with engineering project teams and student organization leaders seeking to improve their leadership and teamwork capabilities.

Rob brings twenty years of experience leading technical professionals in a variety of industries, including higher education, telecom start-ups, and manufacturing.

Dan oversees the Simpkins Family COMPASS Program, which connects engineering undergraduates with alumni in course-structured mentorships aimed at helping students make strategic decisions about their undergraduate education. A native of Ann Arbor, Dan holds a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from the University of Michigan and an MFA in Creative Writing from Western Michigan University. He worked extensively in academic publishing before embarking upon a teaching career spanning all ages from early elementary to university students.

Dan believes leadership can occur at all levels of an organization and that deep awareness of personal values strengthens a person’s ability to lead.

Myrian serves as the Assistant Director of the Selander Center for Engineering Leadership Programs at Cornell University, where she provides administrative support with enthusiasm and an unmatchable work ethic. A graduate in graphics communications from CUNY Baruch, Myrian has a diverse career background that spans from the fashion industry to the television station industry. She currently holds an XCC Coaching Certification and is actively pursuing the ACC Coaching Certification to enhance her ability to support students, faculty, and staff through coaching in their journeys. Passionate about art and creativity, Myrian loves exploring new places, nature, animals, and cooking in her spare time.

Amber is originally from Trumansburg but has lived in McLean for 10 years. She has amazing skills from her past administrative positions, and she loves this kind of work. She says that her four children (a toddler and 3 teenagers) keep her very busy when she is not assisting Cornell with their administrative needs.