Lisa Kaenzig

Today we’re getting under the hood of Lisa Kaenzig a mother, daughter, sister, partner, college dean, and champion for educational and leadership opportunities for girls and women. Lisa shares her passion for women’s leadership in her role as Dean of William Smith College at Hobart and William Smith Colleges (HWS). Lisa has over 30 years of administrative and academic experience, including several years working in politics in Washington, D.C., and more than two decades serving as a college dean. She is the Chair of the Advisory Council for the Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN), a national organization with the sole focus of empowering, educating, and engaging women and marginalized gender groups in public policy to promote diverse, inclusive leadership in policy making. 

Lisa has a deep commitment to DEIA work. She founded the HWS First Generation Initiative to provide support and resources for students who are the first in their families to graduate from college. She was appointed to serve in leadership roles on the President’s Committee on Inclusive Excellence and the Strategic Diversity Plan Committee.  Lisa has also appeared on NPR and the BBC to discuss her research on introversion and high-ability learners. 

Lisa earned her Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Planning and Leadership from William and Mary, her M.A. in Human Resource Development from the George Washington University and her B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University.

Listen to Lisa’s story.