Welcome

Welcome to the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at Grand Valley State University.

What do we do? We support Grand Valley students and their leadership development. We work to advance knowledge and build community in the following areas:

We are a PRESIDENTIAL STUDIES CENTER. Our special collection of works authored by American presidents has been called “a uniquely valuable resource” by the Library of Congress.  

We focus on LEADERSHIP in keeping with the vision of our founder and benefactor, COL Ralph W. Hauenstein, and his friendship with Peter C. Cook. Our primary mission is to foster ethical, effective leadership for the 21^st century, and our Peter C. Cook Leadership Academy is at the core of that charge. 

We strive to prepare a new generation of leaders to deal effectively with diverse ideas and cultures through our COMMON GROUND INITIATIVE, a program unique in higher education. All of our conferences and events are free and open to the public.

Peter C. Cook Leadership Academy Alumni Panel: Leading at the Intersection, Friday, September 24, 4PM

At the end of last year, President Mantella urged us to work at the intersection of different fields as “that is where knowledge is created.” Beyond just our local community, increasing globalization, connectedness, diversity, and collaboration have been at the forefront of conversations about leadership. With these conversations come the questions: How can leaders think beyond their sectors to creatively and sustainably solve problems? What leadership competencies are needed to excel at these intersections? One of the greatest sources of knowledge on these timely questions comes from the personal and professional experience of those who have come before us.

Moderated by Peter C. Cook Leadership Academy (CLA) alumnus DeMario Bell (2016), the third annual CLA Alumni Panel will feature esteemed alumni as they share with our new cohort of fellow candidates how they successfully navigate through these intersections to demonstrate ethical and effective leadership. We warmly welcome Danielle Harris (2011), Carol Reiss (2014), and Lawrence Williams (2017) back to campus for our first Wheelhouse Talk of the semester.

We will continue to offer a digital alternative for all of our events as we consider the health and safety of our members, students, and the community. We strongly encourage higher-risk populations to engage in our events virtually by visiting  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87222394732 or call in at US: +1 (929) 205-6099 Webinar ID: 872 2239 4732  to view the live broadcast.