Nebraska Women in STEM talked to UNL’s Dr. Tala Awada about mentoring in academic leadership.
Dr. Tala Awada has been teaching at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for 26 years and currently serves in the Associate Dean of the Agricultural Research Division in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Originally from Tyre, Lebanon, it was at the Lebanese University that she received her Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering, before moving onto Crete, Greece and Saskatchewan, Canada for her master’s and doctoral degrees.
When asked about how she ended up in Nebraska, Awada lit up. “My spouse and I had just graduated from the University of Saskatchewan and had the opportunity to come to Lincoln for an interview. We really liked the university and the community and said that this was the place for us.”
For more than two decades, Awada has brought her leadership and service to UNL’s School of Natural Resources. Much of her day-to-day success relies on her diverse relationships and open mindset. “When you are a part of an inclusive team with individuals that come from different disciplines and have different points of view, you are better equipped to tackle the complex challenges that we have around us in agriculture and natural resources.”