Jersey City, N.J. – September 10, 2015 – Saint Peter’s University today announced that Leila Sadeghi, Ph.D. ’05 has been appointed to the position of executive director for the Guarini Institute for Government and Leadership for the University. Dr. Sadeghi served most recently as the chair of the Department of Educational Leadership at Kean University, where she oversaw graduate programs in education.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome Dr. Sadeghi back to campus to drive the future success of the Guarini Institute,” said Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D., president of Saint Peter’s University. “I have absolute confidence in her leadership given her previous experience and strong commitment to public policy, education and public administration.”
During her time with Kean University, Dr. Sadeghi spearheaded several successful endeavors such as the creation of unique new programs and a public policy initiative that involved the development and implementation of a university white paper and roundtable series. Prior to joining Kean University, Dr. Sadeghi worked as an assistant professor with the Center for Executive Leadership in Government at Rutgers University. Her areas of teaching included public administration, public policy and technology in government. While there, she also helped develop the first mini-MPA program in the state, a global executive development program and training programs in social media for public sector officials.
The Guarini Institute for Government and Leadership was established in 1994 by Congressman Frank Guarini H ’94 and aims to provide a non-partisan forum for discussion of key public policy issues. The Institute sponsors lectures and programs throughout the academic year to promote critical thinking, debate and careers in public service. The Institute also sponsors a number of programs with the United Nations such as the Visiting Ambassadors’ Colloquium, the High School Model UN, the Harvard Model UN and Non-Governmental Organization activities.
“I’m delighted to be back at my alma mater as it was here where I learned about the Jesuit mission and integrated it into my daily life,” said Sadeghi. “I’m fortunate to have gained over a decade of experience working at institutions of higher education in various positions all involving public policy and administration. My experience lends itself well to the Institute and I look forward to working with the esteemed Congressman Guarini and the amazing faculty, staff and administration at Saint Peter’s University.“
Dr. Sadeghi has published numerous articles and most recently a book titled Educational Leadership in Action: A Casebook for Aspiring Educational Leaders, published by Taylor & Francis. She earned her bachelor’s degree from California State University, a master’s degree in education administration from Saint Peter’s and a doctorate in urban education policy from Rutgers University-Newark.
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