Skip Top Navigation

Schedule

2023 Conference Schedule

2023 Conference Schedule
Time Activity/Event Location
8-9 a.m. Onboarding: Registration/Check-In & Breakfast Bayou Building, Atrium I
9-9:15 a.m. Final Boarding Call: Opening/Welcome Bayou Building, Atrium II
9:15-10:15 a.m. Captain's Announcement: Opening Keynote Bayou Building, Atrium II
10:30-11:20 a.m. Take-Off: Session Block 1 Various
11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m. Soaring: Session Block 2 Various
12:20-1:50 p.m. Cruising: Lunch Bayou Building, Atrium II
12:20-1:00 p.m. Cruising: Resume Review Bayou Building, Atrium II
1:00-1:50 p.m. Descending: Lunch & Learn: Employer Panel Bayou Building, Atrium II
2:00-2:50 p.m. Final Approach: Session Block 3 Various
3:00-3:50 p.m. Landing & Final Words: Employer Panel Bayou Building, Atrium II
3:30-4:00 p.m. Destination: Check-Out Bayou Building, Atrium I
4:00-4:30 p.m. OPTIONAL: Campus Tour Various

Register today to secure your seat.


Conference Session Tracks

We are excited that you have chosen to join us as we journey to transcend beyond leadership on Expedition Excellence. At this year's Annual Student Leadership and Career Development Conference, you will be equipped with skills to change the game through the conference sessions you choose to attend. At the end of the conference, you will receive a certificate acknowledging your expedition to transcend leadership.

Leadership Track

Students attend at least four sessions (2 required leadership track, 2 optional elective sessions).

Career Development Track

Students attend at least four sessions (2 required career development track, 2 optional elective sessions).

Pick your Path Track

Students attend at least four sessions of their choosing.

You choose your path as we transcend leadership and embark on Expedition Excellence.


Sessions Blocks

Check out last year's sessions for an idea of what is usually offered at our conference! Check back in early October for the announcement of our 2023 slate of workshops. 

First Quarter: Session Block 1 (10:30-11:20 a.m.)

Game Plan: Navigating the Job Search through a DEI Lens

Students will learn about hiring biases and EEOC protections, how this impacts their job search, and strategies to help them navigate challenges that arise.

Track: Career Development

Presenter: Lindsley Burgess

Lindsley Burgess serves as the Associate Director of Consulting & Programming for the Career Connections Center at Texas Woman’s University. Lin leads the career consultant team with over eight years of experience in career services in higher education. She earned a B.S. in Psychology from Southern University and A&M College, an M.S. in Clinical Psychology from Northwestern State University of Louisiana, and an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Houston – Victoria. Prior to her role with the Career Connections Center, Lin began her career in career services as a Graduate Assistant with the Counseling and Career Services office at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, LA. She then served as the Career & Student Development Coordinator with McNeese State University’s Career & Student Development Center in Lake Charles, LA. She followed this role as a Career Counselor with the University of Houston-Clear Lake’s Career Services office in Houston, TX. Lin comes to the role of Associate Director with a wealth of knowledge and a strong passion for career counseling and employer engagement. With the goal of enrollment being to earn a degree toward advanced opportunities, universities have an obligation to not only develop students academically but to also invest in their development as professionals. Lin is dedicated to engaging our students, faculty/staff, and employer partners, with the goal being to further develop our students as professionals, enhance their knowledge and experiences beyond the classroom, and assist employers with their recruiting needs!


Elevating Your Leadership Style and Presence

We will have an engaging discussion surrounding both how to elevate your leadership style as well as your leadership presence. Discussion topics will include discovering one's leadership style, how to seek meaningful professional development opportunities, getting engaged in your career/profession, and showing up as an authentic leader.

Track: Leadership

Presenter: Matt Perry

Matthew Perry is going on year four of serving UHCL as the Director for Student Housing and Residence Life. With 15+ years experience in Student Affairs, he believes deeply in meeting students where they are at, leading from a place of care and empathy, and making an impact in his profession. Hailing from both Ohio and the east coast, Matthew enjoys traveling with friends, and his little dog, Nova.


First Down: The Journey to a Winning Conversation!

The presentation will cover communication styles and how to work effectively with people with different communication styles.

Track: Leadership

Presenter: Erica Njoku

Erica Njoku serves as the Associate Director of Student Involvement and Leadership at the University of Houston - Clear Lake. Erica has a passion for student development and has experience with Housing and Residence Life and student activities. Njoku obtained a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh in 2012 and a Master of Education in Higher Education from the University of Houston in 2015. 


Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace

Emotional intelligence is critical to the success of leaders and employees in diverse workplace settings. Come to this hands-on presentation to discuss and practice emotional intelligence skills! These communication and emotional regulation skills will serve you well in navigating complex work situations, talking through workplace conflict, and advocating for yourself and others.

Track: Career Development and Leadership

Presenter: Emily Horton

Emily Horton is an Assistant Professor of Counseling at the University of Houston at Clear Lake. She has presented at 18 national conferences, 11 state conferences, and 2 local conferences, on topics related to counseling and counselor education. 

Second Quarter: Session Block 2 (11:30 a.m. - 12:20 p.m.)

Getting Paid! How to Effectively Negotiate a Better Salary

Learning how to find your fair market value. Learning how to navigate interviewing scenarios that involve salary information. Learn how to counter an initial job offer and what to consider to make a good decision.

Track: Career Development

Presenter: Chuck Crocker 

Currently the Director of UHCL Career Services and Adjunct Instructor in the College of Business.


Dealing with Difficult People

This presentation will attempt to define what constitutes a “difficult “person” in the workplace, explore common types of “difficult” people and propose strategies for working through communication barriers.

Track: Leadership

Presenter: UHCL Doctoral Intern of Clinical Psychology

Doctoral Intern of Clinical Psychology with experience in counseling and psychological services to adults, children and couples.


What is Your Leadership Style? How to Market Your Leadership Style in Networking Settings?

Different types of leadership styles; brief quiz for students to determine their styles; tips on marketing leadership style when networking.

Track: Career Development and Leadership

Presenter: La'Quinta Payne 


GameTime Excellence: The Power of Mindset and Relationship

Each student will walk away with tools to have a strong mindset and strong reasons to accomplish their goals. We will also discuss the power of relationships and understand how to build and leverage relationships to help students reach the next level in their careers.

Track: Career Development and Leadership

Presenter: Shamiel Gary (Keynote Speaker)

Third Quarter: Session Block 3 (1:40-2:30 p.m.)

Cultural Dynamics of Leadership: Navigating Hispanic/Latinx Cultural Identity and Leadership Engagement

This session will identify and implement leadership skills to better serve Latinx/o communities. Participants will: become familiar with leadership models, incorporate cultural fluidity into your leadership style, discuss Positive Social Change opportunities in groups, and lead with intention for sustainability with diverse team members.

Track: Career Development

Presenter: Roberta Leal

Dr. Roberta M. Leal is an Assistant Professor and Director of Social Work internships at the University of Houston-Clear Lake, where she is actively engaged in student-centered mentoring, community-based participatory research, community advocacy, and service. Her current research activities focus on strengthening university-community research partnerships and data management/analysis for three multi-year projects designed to address social well-being of diverse communities through HIV prevention/intervention, health of Latino immigrants, and the promotion of healthy marriages and relationships. Dr. Leal has worked in a variety of community-based and research settings including schools, nonprofit organizations, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and universities. Her work represents twenty-four years of experience in human services, crisis intervention, program development and evaluation, as well as community advisory boards and steering committees throughout the Greater Houston Area. In 2019, Roberta was recognized as Social Worker of the Year by the Latino Social Workers of Greater Houston network. Dr. Leal is passionate for working with diverse communities to advocate for access to quality healthcare, educational programming, and social services.


Leadership in the Interview

Session will cover the power of illustrating leadership skills during the interview, as well as common questions and opportunities to convey leadership qualities in interview responses. We will discuss how professional branding can help convey elements of a leader.

Track: Career Development

Presenter: Cory McGregory

Cory McGregory is a higher education professional with experience in career counseling and academic advising. His primary interests are in preparing students to be career ready and promote positive career development. He primarily works with students by developing career programming and individualized career counseling services. Although he primarily services students from the College of Human Sciences and Humanities, he enjoys having career conversations with students as they are developing their career story.


PSC Presents: Punt, Pass, and Kick!

In this session, Pathways to STEM Careers will cover three major concepts in building leadership skills and career development.

Track: Career Development and Leadership

Presenters: Pathways to STEM Careers

Andrea Alvarado and the PSC Staff Team work to empower students by helping them develop their leadership skills among a community of students sharing similar social and academic interests. The PSC Staff team and their peer mentors have previously presented at UHCL’s Student Leadership Conferences, NASPA General Assembly Conferences, and AHSIE Best Practices conferences.


Top 10 Things You Should Know About Management to Help Your Career

Do you ever wonder if there is a quick way to learn everything you need to know to have a successful career? This interactive session will allow students to consider how to apply what they learn in management and other career-focused classes.

Track: Career Development and Leadership

Presenter: Laura Guerrero

Dr. Guerrero has a PhD from the Ivey Business School at Western University (formerly U of Western Ontario), an MBA from Simon Fraser University and a BBA from the University of Texas at El Paso. She has managed and worked in the retail and financial services industries in Canada, Mexico, and the US. As an academic, she has several publications about topics such as job search, downsizing, careers, immigrants and Hispanics in the workplace. Dr. Guerrero has also co-authored a textbook about leadership, which is its 5th edition and has sold over 15,000 copies all over the world. (Rowe, W. G. & Guerrero, L. (2018). Cases in Leadership (5th Ed.), Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. For this, she received the 2018 Sage Cornerstone Author Award.


Directions

Conference activities will be held in the Bayou Building on the UHCL campus.

University of Houston-Clear Lake
2700 Bay Area Blvd.
Houston, TX 77058

Parking

Free parking is in Student Lot D for the conference.

Campus Map (PDF)

Dining

A light breakfast and lunch are included with your conference registration.

 

Contact

  • Student Involvement and Leadership

    Phone: 281-283-2560
    Fax: 281-283-2566
    Email: getinvolved@uhcl.edu

    SSCB 1204
    2700 Bay Area Blvd, Box 198
    Houston, TX 77058-1002

    Regular office hours:
    Mon. - Thurs., 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
    Fri. - 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

    Please call ahead during holidays and semester breaks.