The Leadership Center

Our Mission

The mission of the Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Leadership (CISL) is twofold:

First, the Center will foster collaboration and synergy throughout FDU on the themes of effective and responsible leadership. Through academic and co-curricular programming, outreach, and collaboration on all its campuses, the Center will bring the university together to explore, design, and implement opportunities for students to learn and gain experience in leadership.

Second, the Center will engage FDU’s broad range of alumni, stakeholders, and communities on the themes of effective and responsible leadership. It will do so through developing, sponsoring, and implementing public-facing events, professional development programming, and community-building.

As such, the Center is designed as a hub for the:

• Development of interdisciplinary academic and professional development programs
• Engagement of alumni and external stakeholders
• Development of a wide variety of community-building events and programs centered on leadership

All focused on the promotion of a brand of leadership that delivers organizational effectiveness and serves society and the public good in a balanced and sustainable way.

Current Activities

The Center is engaging in its initial research and planning, beginning with conversations with representatives from every academic department and many other staff and student service functions at FDU. We will begin our slate of programming in the Spring 2026 semester.

The Center is currently building its Internal and External advisory boards and working groups, drawing on the talent and experience of students, faculty, alumni, and stakeholders in developing and delivering leadership programming. If you are interested in helping out, please contact the Center using the form below.

Center Director

Scott J. Behson, Ph.D., is a professor of management at Fairleigh Dickinson University, the founding director of FDU’s Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Leadership, and a Silberman Global Faculty Fellow. Scott teaches a variety of leadership, organizational behavior, and human resource management classes and has won eight awards for his teaching, scholarship, and service to students.

In addition to his many academic publications on how employers can better support employees with their work-life challenges, Scott also writes for business and popular press, including Harvard Business Review, Time, Fast Company, and the Wall Street Journal. He is the author of four books: The Whole-Person Workplace, The Working Dad’s Survival Guide, We Hate Team Projects!, and Work-Family Ready.

Center Director (far right) speaking at the 2016 White House Summit for Working Families.

Scott has spoken at the White House Summit for Working Families, the United Nations Day of the Family, and many international conferences. He has appeared on NPR, MSNBC, CBS, Bloomberg Radio, and PBS New Jersey. He also provides consulting and corporate speaking services on building more supportive workplaces. Scott earned a Ph.D. from the University at Albany, State University of New York, and a B.S. from Cornell University. He lives in Nyack, NY, with his wife, son, and beloved cats.