5 faculty members selected for 2026 ACC Academic Leaders Network
They will work with peers from Atlantic Coast Conference universities in the yearlong leadership development program.
Five faculty leaders from UNC-Chapel Hill have been selected to participate in the 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Leaders Network, a competitive initiative aimed at strengthening leadership across member institutions.
The Academic Leaders Network is a cohort-based program designed to advance leadership capacity among established academic leaders. The curriculum adopts a multidimensional framework that integrates leadership theory, practice and skill development, with attention to individual leadership approaches and organizational contexts.
Implemented across multiple institutions in the ACC, the program promotes scholarly exchange, comparative analysis of institutional practice and sustained collaboration among participants representing diverse academic environments.
Representing Carolina in the 2026 cohort are:
Susana Barroso, associate professor, School of Nursing
David Berkoff, professor of orthopedic surgery and vice chair of clinical operations in nonoperative sports and musculoskeletal medicine, orthopaedics department, School of Medicine
Helyne Frederick, program director, human development and family science; director, interprofessional education and practice; clinical professor; and certified family life educator, School of Education
Dana Rice, associate dean of academic affairs; associate professor, public health leadership and practice department, Gillings School of Global Public Health
Erianne Weight, director, Center for Research in Intercollegiate Athletics; associate professor, exercise and sport science, College of Arts and Sciences
“This new cohort brings together academic leaders who aren’t just thinking about Carolina’s future — they’re actively shaping it,” said Dr. Giselle Corbie, senior vice provost. “Through the ACC Academic Leaders Network, they join colleagues across institutions to wrestle with big questions: how we innovate academically, how we mentor and sustain our faculty, and how we build leadership that endures. It’s a rare space for honest dialogue, shared insight and strategic imagination. Carolina is proud to be part of this dynamic community and eager to learn from the ideas it sparks.”
The Carolina fellows will collaborate with peers from partner universities on a yearlong applied leadership project and convene for multiple in-person seminars hosted at rotating alliance campuses throughout 2026.
About the program
The ACC Academic Leaders Network Program is hosted by a consortium of ACC universities. The ALN is a targeted, intensive, leadership development program for experienced leaders focused on a comprehensive approach to leadership development, style and skills. The program is a multi-institutional program formed to network academic leaders, share best practices and benchmarking, and foster collaboration across diverse organizations.
The program structure consists of three leadership conferences, each hosted at a different participating university campus. These sessions are designed to build leadership awareness and effectiveness in the context of higher education and facilitate conversations over a range of topics that support leadership growth in key areas across multiple spheres of influence. Each participating university selects an internal leadership liaison to support its leaders and assist with organizational outcomes. The Office of the Provost sponsors all travel-related expenses for ACC ALN cohort members.
The ACC ALN builds upon existing campus programs by creating distinctive learning opportunities while capitalizing on networking and collaborative opportunities to further develop our leaders along a range of dimensions, in ways that no single university can accomplish on its own. Additional leadership, project development and networking are available to participants as well.
