Classes Designed to Cultivate Curiosity for CBT Students
The new semester brings many new faces to UNK. Among those are Dr. Xiao (Lilac) Li and Dr. Skyler Leonhardt, two of the newest professors for the College of Business and Technology. It will be an exciting time for their students as both Li and Leonhardt have a lot to offer. They both plan to create classrooms where students will be motivated to become the best in their field.
Dr. Lilac Li
Dr. Li, who is joining the Department of Management as an assistant professor, describes her teaching style as “experiential, inquiry-driven, and career-focused.” Her students will experience real-world examples as well as case studies to complement Li’s teaching. She strives to “connect theory with practice” which she believes will encourage her students to “analyze complex practical challenges from multiple perspectives.” The appreciation of different perspectives will be prominent in Dr. Li’s classes as she strives to “cultivate curiosity by creating an interactive environment where questions are welcomed, ideas are debated, and learning is active rather than passive.” She plans to emphasize “critical thinking and evidence-based problem solving” to help students develop the skills needed to “navigate ambiguity and make informed decisions.”
Dr. Li explains how she was “super impressed” during her interview process for her new position. She feels as though she has found the perfect spot to explore her love of teaching as well as her love of research. She has published numerous papers, written books on leadership, presented many times, and has teaching experience at both the Masters and Doctorate level.
Her research is dedicated to “transforming healthcare management and policy by advancing healthcare organizations’ financial viability, clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, and patient experience.” She is passionate about healthcare management and looks forward to teaching “future leaders” social responsibility as well as the healthcare leadership skills they will need to be successful in their careers. She shares how her work “leverages physician-hospital integration and healthcare workforce strategies, applies cutting-edge implementation science to accelerate evidence-based change, and tackles urgent public health challenges, including aging, substance use, and health disparities to create sustainable and equitable healthcare systems.”
Dr. Skyler Leonhardt
Dr. Skyler Leonhardt has plans to bring his industry experience into his classroom as part of his new role as an assistant professor for the Department of Marketing at UNK’s College of Business and Technology. He has experience as a data analyst for B2B software, an entrepreneurial research statistician, and a B2B real estate services representative. This impressive level of experience fuels his teaching style. Dr. Leonhardt explains how he has a “primary focus of equipping students with practical business skills through practice and real-world application.” He shares how his goal is for each student to leave his class with “not just theoretical understanding but, more importantly, with tangible skills that will help in their future careers.”
This focus on his students’ future stems from his understanding that they need hands-on experience in order to learn how to be the brightest and best in their career field. His classes promise to be exciting and full of energy. He explains how his students will “act out skills” that they are learning on a day-to-day basis. As an industry professional, he knows he needs to teach his students exact skills that will make them stand out during interviews and perform well in their professions. He encourages his students to stay engaged as he plans to teach them more than just subject matter. Student engagement will include opportunities to develop leadership skills to include effective communication.
Dr. Leonhardt is pleased to be at UNK where he appreciates the opportunity to balance his teaching with his research. His research interests include how “language, cognition, and individual difference factors influence salesforce behaviors and performance across various contexts, including entrepreneurial ventures and business-to-business sales.” He will carefully craft these interests into his lessons to benefit his students and prepare them to compete in the marketing industry.
Dr. Li and Dr. Leonhardt are excited to provide opportunities to help connect their students with industry leaders. Both professors explain how they also hope to share their experiences with their students to help them find a job they love.
As another year unfolds for the students at UNK’s College of Business and Technology, the excitement extends to Dr. Lilac Li and Dr. Skyler Leonhardt. We are pleased to welcome them to the Loper Family and look forward to learning from both of them.
