MEET OUR SPEAKERS
SESSION 12: A CONVERSATION WITH CHANCELLOR DALTON
Join us for a candid conversation with LSU Chancellor Jim Dalton, led by LSU Faculty Senate President and 2025–2026 SEC ALDP Fellow Dan Tirone. Hired to lead LSU’s ambitious pursuit of becoming a top 50 public research university, Chancellor Dalton stepped into a newly created role with responsibility for LSU’s flagship campus in Baton Rouge and its research campuses across the state. He will discuss the priorities he set upon taking the role, the opportunities and complexities of bringing distinct campuses together around a shared vision, and the issues he anticipated—as well as those that emerged along the way. Drawing on lessons learned throughout his career in academic leadership, Dalton will share what has shaped his approach to leading institutions and what he believes future academic administrators should understand before stepping into leadership roles of their own.
Jim Dalton
Chancellor
Chancellor James Dalton is a distinguished academic leader and biomedical researcher whose career spans higher education, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical discovery. He joined LSU last fall after serving as Executive Vice President and Provost at the University of Alabama, where he oversaw the academic, research, and service missions of 13 colleges and divisions. Prior to Alabama, he served as Dean of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Michigan, elevating the college to a No. 3 national ranking and doubling research expenditures. In the private sector, Dr. Dalton served as Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President for Preclinical Research and Development at GTx, Inc., directing the development of novel therapeutics in oncology and endocrinology. His research has produced more than 100 U.S. patents, over 500 international patents, and more than 21,000 research citations. A fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, Dr. Dalton was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2019 and the National Academy of Inventors in 2025.
Daniel Tirone
Faculty Senate President
Daniel C. Tirone, Associate Professor of Political Science, joined LSU in 2012 after completing his Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh. He works in the area of International Relations with a specialization in International Political Economy, including research on foreign aid, civil conflict, and the relative power of states within the global financial system. He is also in third year as Faculty Senate President and fifth in faculty leadership. During his tenure he has focused on issues such as shared governance, university policy, and student success. He is also a 2025-26 alumnus of the SEC’s Academic Leadership Development Program (ALDP).
SESSION 13: LANDSCAPE FOR LEADERSHIP IN THE FUTURE (ACTIVITY)
Strategic planning works best when it looks outward, and this session invites you to practice "Horizon Thinking," building a shared timeline with peers from across the SEC to surface the events, trends, and issues most likely to shape higher education over the next decade and identify those that deserve attention now. Along the way, we'll explore the leadership qualities this work demands: comfort with ambiguity, willingness to name what's uncertain, and openness to perspectives beyond your own. You'll leave with a candid snapshot of what's ahead and a technique you can bring back to your own campus to build buy-in for the planning still to come.
Kristin Sosnowsky
Provost Fellow for Leadership Development
Kristin serves as the Executive Associate Dean of the LSU College of Music and Dramatic Arts; Director of the School of Theatre and also oversees Swine Palace, the School’s affiliated Equity theatre company. During her tenure at LSU, she has produced over 40 major professional productions including The Heidi Chronicles which was performed at the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre and Beijing Central Academy of Drama; the world premiere of Cocktail which was one of 36 productions selected to represent the United States at the 2011 Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space, and the world premiere of Spill, a multi-media theatre event based on the impact of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Ms. Sosnowsky is a member of the National Association of Schools of Theatre Commission on Accreditation; serves on the Board of the University Resident Theatre Association and is the Co-Director of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education Leadership Institute.
SESSION 14: NAVIGATING CHANGE, TRADEOFFS AND TOUGH CALLS
Leadership is rarely about having all the answers. It's about making difficult decisions, balancing competing priorities, and choosing the best path forward when there is no perfect solution. Drawing from a career that has spanned multiple executive roles across the LSU enterprise, Matt Lee will share candid lessons on navigating change and the realities of leadership. Participants will gain insight into how priorities and responsibilities evolve at different levels of an organization, from campus administration to leading a statewide land-grant institution. The conversation will explore how leaders approach tough decisions, manage periods of transition, and fulfill the responsibility of serving as a public good for the people of their home state.
Matt Lee
Senior Vice Chancellor for Agriculture and Dean, College of Agriculture
Matt Lee serves as Senior Vice Chancellor for Agriculture and Dean of the Louisiana State University College of Agriculture, providing leadership for the LSU AgCenter, which includes the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station and the LSU College of Agriculture. A two-time LSU graduate and member of the second class of the SEC Academic Leadership Development Program (ALDP), Lee has held numerous leadership roles across the university, including Interim Executive Vice President and Provost, Vice Provost, Senior Associate Vice President for Research & Economic Development, and most recently Interim LSU System President in 2025. Under his leadership, LSU has achieved record enrollment, research growth, expanded Extension impact, and strengthened industry and philanthropic partnerships that support the university's future.