One of the first times Dr. Kathy Guthrie, M.S.’ 00, instructed a college course, her co-teacher was a university president. The graduate student was brand new in higher education and pursuing her master’s in College Student Personnel Administration (CSPA), a student affairs program housed in the Department of Educational Administration and Foundations (EAF) at Illinois State.

For some, sharing the classroom stage with then-president Dr. Vic Boschini is akin to asking a new vocalist to duet with Elton John.

But instead of being intimidated, Guthrie thrived. And 21 years later, the experience is immensely relevant to her work. Many scholars point to her as the top researcher of leadership in higher education.

“In both scholarship and practice, Dr. Guthrie has had a significant impact on the field of leadership learning,” said Dr. Marci Rockey, assistant coordinator of EAF’s CSPA program. “Her work is particularly important as we see the critical need to advance and assess diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts within leadership education and student affairs.”

What it is to lead

Guthrie, an associate professor at Florida State University, shares her “Dr. Boschini experience” as an example of how leadership learning can benefit students not only during college, but in their careers.

“From actuary scientists to health care workers, there are many ways in which leadership matters in those spaces. We need leaders in all sectors. The beautiful thing about leadership is that it is interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and it’s even transdisciplinary.”

In addition to teaching, Guthrie is the director of FSU’s Leadership Learning Research Center and coordinates an undergraduate certificate in leadership studies. Her scholarly productivity illustrates her passion. She has authored, co-authored, presented, and led grants on near 200 pieces of research related to leadership learning.

Guthrie even co-authored Marvelous and Kind Kloey, a children’s book trilogy with kindness, gratefulness, and of course, leadership, at the heart of the stories.

The goal of the books is to provide a natural entryway for families to talk about those positive qualities.

“Leadership is so unique because it’s socially constructed. How a person is raised and socialized is unique to their environment, and so the way they view leadership, and even define it, is also unique,” she said.

The CSPA difference

Guthrie said she owes the quality of her graduate experience at Illinois State to Dr. Phyllis McCluskey-Titus, who led and co-led the CSPA program for the better part of 22 years, retiring in 2021. Guthrie even teases her former professor for being her first student.

“Phyllis ignited my passion for teaching when she asked me to serve as a teaching assistant in one of her classes,” she said. “I was initially hesitant, but after jumping in, I thought, ‘Wow, I can do this.”

The trust built between the two enabled McCluskey-Titus to challenge her mentee with the co-teaching role with Boschini, who was in the process of transitioning from a vice president role to the University’s leader.

“I remember Phyllis saying to me, ‘You need to help him co-teach in the CSPA program. You will never get an opportunity to teach with a president again, so go for it,’” she said.

In addition to McCluskey-Titus and Boschini, Guthrie credits her assistantship within the Division of Student Affairs at Illinois State as a huge lift to her preparation to serve the field. While on the job, she met two impactful mentors in Jill Benson and Dr. Danielle Miller-Schuster ’97, M.S. ’98, Ph.D. ’14.

“It was amazing to have such strong women, Jill and Danielle, along with Phyllis to be such great supporters of students and examples to learn from,” she said.

Today, Benson is Illinois State’s associate dean of students, and Miller-Schuster is the associate vice president for the Division of Student Affairs.

“Strong student affairs programs with assistantships put what you’re learning in the classroom into practice, and that’s what makes either an administrator or faculty member that much stronger,” she said. “Illinois State does a really beautiful job of it.”

It’s one of the reasons Guthrie stays connected with her alma mater and colleagues at Illinois State. She is also quick to step in to support CSPA students whenever possible.

“Dr. Guthrie is a tremendous resource for our students,” Rockey said. “Her work centers core tenets of our graduate preparation program including social justice and the importance of scholarly practice in student affairs.”

A modest leader of her own, Guthrie embodies the principles of her work. And she is always looking for new opportunities to collaborate with institutions across the U.S. who want to build leadership capacity on their own campuses.

“Leadership learning is a fertile ground. It’s really where my passion is, and there is still a lot to uncover.”