Robe Leadership Institute

Leadership is the distinguishing characteristic of Russ College graduates. They embark on their professional paths ready for the challenges of a leadership role. The T. Richard and Eleanora K. Robe Leadership Institute, established in 1996 by the Ohio University Board of Trustees, selects students to participate in special seminars and programs that will teach and demonstrate how they can guide the future of engineering and technology - and of society as a whole.

The Robe Leadership Institute Seminar is the program’s premier offering. During the fall semester seminar, you’ll study leadership fundamentals and observe and compare varied leadership styles as you formulate your own. The seminar includes readings, class presentations, and case studies on successful leaders. Visiting speakers – many of them Russ College alumni – who have reached eminent leadership positions in various fields participate in the seminar and share their knowledge and experiences.

Potential participants are identified and interviewed by their departments before being nominated. The institute director interviews nominees and chooses the students, known as Robe Leadership Institute Scholars, for each fall’s seminar.

If you are chosen for the seminar, you will receive a modest stipend. You also will have access to the Loehr Leadership Resource Center, which includes a private computer lab, audiovisual equipment, and a library of books and multimedia materials on leadership and prominent leaders.