J. Mack Robinson College of Business Announces Sarah Allen Gershon as Director of WomenLead

ATLANTA – Sarah Allen Gershon has been named the director of WomenLead at Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business.

Gershon joined Georgia State University in 2008 where she is a faculty member in the Department of Political Science, and she holds the Ray and John Uttenhove WomenLead Professorship. Professor Gershon teaches courses on research methods, women in politics, and campaigns and elections. Her research focuses primarily on the experiences of women and racial and ethnic minorities in contemporary American politics. She has authored or co-authored more than 30 scholarly publications and book chapters in her career and received funding from several agencies, including the National Science Foundation. Professor Gershon has produced several books, including co-editing “Distinct Identities: Minority Women in U.S. Politics” and she is co-author of the ninth edition of the popular textbook “Approaching Democracy.” Her Bachelor of Arts is from Washington State University, and her master’s and doctoral degrees in Political Science are from Arizona State University.

In her new role, Gershon will be responsible for building the capacity and impact of WomenLead while continuing to improve the program’s reputation, quality, and influence. She will provide leadership and guidance for all aspects of the program – recruiting students, attracting faculty, providing academic leadership, and directing the programs and operations of WomenLead. She will collaborate with academic leaders and staff professionals to leverage existing relationships and engage with supporters, community partners, companies, industry organizations, and friends of WomenLead to identify new opportunities to build the program, increase its endowment, and create a pipeline of continuing support and access for students.

“Working with and learning from the dynamic students, faculty, staff, and community partners in WomenLead has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my professional career, and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve this program in a new way as the next director,” said Gershon. “As a result of the vision and efforts of Professor Nancy Mansfield, the program’s founding director, along with many other leaders at Georgia State and in the Atlanta community over the past eight years, the WomenLead program is poised to grow in new and exciting ways. I look forward to working with the WomenLead team and our many community partners to build on the program's success and broaden our impact."

“Georgia State’s mission includes fostering student success for all – not only in academics but also in students’ careers and achievement of their broader aspirations,” said Nicolle Parsons-Pollard, interim provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Georgia State. “WomenLead plays a key role in these efforts, developing and equipping students with the skills and encouragement they need to succeed. I am confident that Sarah will build upon the program’s achievements and contribute significantly to this effort across the university.”

“I am thrilled to see Sarah Gershon appointed as Director of WomenLead,” said Sara Rosen, dean of the Georgia State University’s College of Arts & Sciences. “Sarah is a seasoned instructor in the WomenLead program. The students benefit immensely from her dual expertise as a scholar of race and gender in American politics and as an academic leader focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. I congratulate her on taking this next step in her leadership career.”

Launched in 2015 by the Robinson College of Business, WomenLead is a university-wide academic program offering for-credit courses that advance leadership by women in the world and empower students to aspire to and achieve leadership roles. The courses and experiential-based learning provide students with knowledge, college-to-career skills, and access to community leaders and partners. In 2018, WomenLead received the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) Innovations that Inspire Award acknowledging the program’s commitment to closing the gender equity gap. To date, more than 1,300 students have taken the program, which is offered as WomenLead in Business, WomenLead in Entrepreneurship & Innovation, WomenLead in Policy & Politics, WomenLead in Science, and WomenLead in Technology.

“WomenLead’s impact at Georgia State can be seen through the students, faculty, and community leaders it has brought together,” said Richard Phillips, dean of the Robinson College, the university’s home of the WomenLead program. “Under Sarah’s leadership, that impact will accelerate in new and innovative ways.”

“WomenLead will embark on a new goal to expand and become the WomenLead Institute,” said Jaimie Hayes, senior director of development of the Robinson College. “Through our fundraising efforts, the WomenLead Institute will conduct research related to women’s barriers in the workplace, expand the WomenLead Accelerator at Perimeter College, and implement graduate-level programming.”