Alfred University introduces a new initiative to recruit and engage students, helping them develop into leaders who will make a positive difference during and after their time on campus.
The Peter Cuneo Leadership Scholars Program—a strategic partnership between the university’s divisions of Enrollment Management and Student Experience, administered by the Judson Leadership Center (JLC)—will enroll a cohort of 15 first-year students each year, serving a total of 60 students over a four-year period. Scholars will develop their leadership skills through hands-on experiences, mentoring, civic engagement, professional development, travel, and meaningful connections with fellow students, alumni, and leaders.
The initiative is inspired by alumnus Peter Cuneo ’67, HD ’13, HD ’22, a Life Trustee at Alfred University renowned for a career reversing the fortunes of struggling businesses. His most significant turnaround was at Marvel Entertainment, where he served as CEO for a decade in the early 2000s before the business was sold to the Walt Disney Company for $4.5 billion.
“Today’s students are looking for more than a degree. They are seeking meaningful mentorship, real-world experiences, and opportunities to develop the skills and confidence to lead,” said Christie Smith, vice president for Enrollment Management at Alfred University. “The Peter Cuneo Leadership Scholars Program brings together Alfred’s personal educational experience with access to accomplished leaders who can challenge, mentor, and inspire our students.”
Abby Hurley, JLC coordinator, said the goal of the initiative is to offer students the opportunity to engage in a four-year leadership development curriculum that will strengthen student belonging, engagement, persistence, and post-graduate success. “This program advances our commitment to developing purpose-driven leaders to make meaningful contributions to their communities and professions,” Hurley said.
From his time as a student at Alfred, to his serving as a lieutenant in the Navy during two tours of duty in Vietnam, to his decades-long career in business—Forbes Magazine and Business Insider once called him one of the greatest turnaround CEOs in America—Cuneo has embraced leadership as a key to personal and professional success. In his recently-published book, “Superhero Leadership. 28 Ways to Lead with Courage, Strength, and Compassion,” Cuneo discusses 28 “essentials” that he hopes can inspire in others the qualities of effective leadership.
The book, co-authored with six-time New York Times best-selling author Joe Garner, came out in mid-February and is available on Amazon. Cuneo says the book was decades in the making and reflects what he has learned about leadership over the course of his career. Students enrolled as Peter Cuneo Leadership Scholars will benefit from Cuneo’s 28 lessons in leadership, which emphasize collaboration, resilience, ethical decision-making, creative problem-solving, and the ability to navigate change.
“In the world today we have, perhaps, less effective leaders than ever in human history. The challenges to a life of leadership are more prevalent than ever,” said Cuneo, pointing to “technical, social and cultural forces” that can prohibit the development of leadership traits.
He pointed to the prevalence of electronic devices and social media, which has resulted in fewer of the face-to-face interactions that foster collaboration, and a culture where young people are taught to fear failure rather than accepting it and learning from their mistakes.
“Our goal (with the Leadership Scholars program) is to provide the tools that allow our students to overcome these obstacles and ignite their journey as remarkable leaders,” Cuneo said.
As a Peter Cuneo Leadership Scholar, students will access experiences that will help them grow personally and professionally, and as leaders. They include a four-year leadership development program through the JLC, a dedicated first-year Living Learning Community and a cohort of fellow Leadership Scholars, mentorship from fellow Leadership Scholars, civic engagement and community service opportunities, short-term international education experiences focused on leadership and community, internship and professional develop opportunities, and a Campus to Careers experience in New York City, with opportunities to network with Alfred University alumni.
Hurley said there are a number of unique experiences built into the program that will help students grow as people, and more specifically, as leaders. Examples include spending their first year in a very hands-on leadership development program directly working with the Judson Leadership Center.
“Additionally, as students progress through the program, they will be offered networking and campus-to-career programming that connects them with potential future employers and incredible Alfred University alumni to engage with professionals in their desired field,” Hurley said, noting that there will also be a leadership retreat offered annually for sophomores, juniors, and seniors enrolled in the program.
The four-year leadership journey taken by Cuneo Scholars is as follows:
- Students become “Emerging Leaders” in year one, during which they discover their leadership potential, participate in leadership labs and workshops, and engage in community-building activities.
- In year two, students will become “Engaged Leaders,” putting what they have learned about leadership into action, becoming more deeply involved in the Alfred University campus and local communities.
- In year three, students become “Legacy Leaders,” using their own abilities as leaders to help others grow. Students will mentor first-year Emerging Leaders while continuing to pursue leadership roles across campus. Legacy Leaders will also participate in a “Campus to Careers Experience” in New York City, connecting with Alfred University alumni in their workplaces.
- In the fourth year, students will take on the role of “Distinguished Leaders,” putting all they have learned into practice and preparing for the next phase of their lives: career/professional development, graduate school, military service, or civic involvement and leadership, for example. Distinguished Leaders will complete a leadership capstone project inspired by the Social Change Model—which views leadership as a collaborative, values-driven process aimed at making a positive impact rather than holding a formal title or position—which will be presented at the university’s Undergraduate Research Forum in the spring.
By the end of four years, Cuneo Leadership Scholars will have explored topics such as leadership and management styles; collaboration and teamwork; conflict resolution; creative problem-solving; communication and feedback; emotional intelligence; ethical decision-making; civic and global engagement; community building and belonging; and social change. The programs leadership workshops and labs will connect to Cuneo’s 28 lessons in leadership, bringing real-world leadership principles into the student experience.
The Judson Leadership Center, through the Cuneo Leadership Scholarship Program and other leadership-focused initiatives, aims to provide students experiences that help them develop important skills that are attractive to potential employers. “What makes Alfred so special is not just our faculty and our academic programs of study, but also the experiences that we can offer students – this program included,” Hurley commented.
“Through the Judson Leadership Center, and more specifically through this program, we help students become better versions of themselves and to develop into well-rounded, purpose-driven, community-minded individuals that go on to effect real, amazing change in our world,” she said. “Leadership is so much more than just the title you hold – it is the way you carry yourself through the world and how you interact with others, and that’s what this program is all about.”
