Etta Ward
Consultant
Etta Ward has led research and faculty development operations in the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research for over 19 years. As the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Development, her primary role is to advance the IUPUI research mission through faculty research and professional development. In addition, she promotes effective mentoring as a strategy for personal and professional success, which has been central to many efforts and grown well beyond the boundaries of academia.
As a National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) and Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) certified facilitato, Etta has built an impressive body of work around effective mentorship—especially, targeting underrepresented and minoritized populations. She promotes competency-based and culturally-aware mentoring strategies that bolster inclusive mentoring cultures. Etta views this work as her professional calling, with potential to impact mentoring generations into the future. She values opportunities to pay-it-forward by sharing her insights and passion with diverse audiences from all career stages, disciplines, and professions.
For ATG, Etta is a founding member of the LEAD-in3 team and serves as a DEI strategist and an expert in mentorship.