Atim Eneida George describes herself as a global citizen profoundly committed to peace and social justice. Her art and scholarship reflect her vision, values, and commitment to harmonious, sustainable living on Earth. A dedicated lifelong learner, Dr. George’s research on generative leaders posits that they embody and exhibit compassion, prosocial behavior, strategic vision, integrity, clarity of purpose and a dogged commitment to fair play.
Recipient of the Fulbright Specialist Grant “The Arts and Generative Leadership” conducted at Lead City University in Ibadan, Nigeria, she conducted a series of personal and professional development activities. She also worked in tandem with the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs to co-convene their 2024 International Women’s Day Program. The American Folklife Center awarded Dr. George the prestigious Archie Green Fellowship for her project entitled Playing the Angels’ Game: Exploring the Perspectives of Black Foreign Service Women. She also served as a Farmer 2 Farmer (F2F) Program Volunteer in rural Senegal, where she led a training program with the Diakhou Cooperative Society. Dr. George completed Indiana University’s 2024 Summer Institute entitled, Engaging Trauma and Controversy in Research Collections; the program was funded by the National Endowment for Humanities.
- PhD in Leadership & Change, Antioch University
- MA in Leadership & Change, Antioch University
- MATS in Transpersonal Studies, Sofia University
- Ed.M. in Black Studies, Rutgers University
- B.A. Speech Communications, Boston College
Art, I have learned, has the power to interrogate the status quo as well as identify paradoxes and imagine alternatives. The classroom, from my perspective, is one site where we can forge and test creative solutions to the problems of poverty, racism, sexism, and the climate crisis, to name a few. Moreover, I see a direct link between the classroom and the community and propose employing my expertise in generative leadership and qualitative research methodologies such as storytelling and other arts-based research methodologies to create exciting, innovative educational opportunities. As a mixed media artist, for example, I use found objects, some doubtless destined for the garbage heap, to design new creative expressions of aesthetic value. Thus, I see education as an alchemical process. I invite you to join me as I explore questions of global import.
My dissertation research, for example, explores the Iroquois’ Great Law of Peace and generativity, or the idea that leaders consider the implications of their decisions for 7 generations. My research revealed that generative leaders embody and exhibit a prosocial disposition, compassion, strategic vision, and clarity of purpose. During the 2020-2021 academic year, I was a Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of California at Santa Barbara’s Center for Black Studies Research. My research project entitled, Black Mothers Matter! explored the intersections of race, mental health, and gender-based violence.
- George, A.E. (2023) Endurance and Resolve Perspectives of Black Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic (submitted for publication).
- George, A.E. (2022). Improving Nigeria’s human development indicators through equal rights for all: The power of scholarly rigor and activist wisdom. In M. B. M. Avoseh (Ed.), Informal, mutual and transformative learning for social justice: Invisible and visible inputs, thesis–anti-thesis–synthesis, Olutoyin Mejiuni’s Valedictory Papers (pp. 181183). University Press PLC.
- George, A. E. (2022). Reimagining leadership through lessons from the life of Aurelia Erskine Brazeal. International Journal of Public Leadership.
- George, A. E. (2020). Generative leadership and the life of Aurelia Erskine Brazeal, a trailblazing African American female foreign service officer (Doctoral dissertation, Antioch University).
- Invited Speaker. Stepping Up & Stepping Out as Your Best Your, Northeast Region Spring Conference, Alpha Pi Chi National Sorority Inc., Maritime Conference Center, April 27, 2024
- Panelist. Arts Education, Artists, Oral History and Storytelling: Where to Begin, National Guild for Community Arts Education Conference Seeding Fractals, Washington, DC, April 12, 2024
- Invited Online Presenter. Reflections on Student Success: The Hidden Curriculum, Nubian American Advanced College (NAAC), March 14, 2024
- Co-Convener of Women’s International Women’s Day Program. Empowerment and the Five Is: International, Intergenerational, Intersectional, Inclusive and Inspirational, Nigerian Institute for International Affairs, Lagos, Nigeria, March 8, 2024
- Workshop Facilitator. Promoting Youth Empowerment & Leadership Through the Arts, Nigerian Institute for International Affairs, Lagos, Nigeria, March 7, 2024
- Workshop Facilitator. Critical Incident Technique: A Case Study, Postgraduate Students of the Faculty of Arts, Lead City University, Ibadan, Nigeria, March 4, 2024
- Workshop Facilitator. Promoting Youth Empowerment & Leadership Through the Arts, American Corner, Ibadan, Nigeria, March 2, 2024
- Invited Online Presenter. Cultivating the Generative Gaze of the Forgotten and the Excluded, National Storytelling Network, Story Lab, March 16, 2023
- Invited Online Presenter. Thoughts on Leadership, African Innovators’ Conversation, Lagos, Nigeria, June 25, 2022
- Invited Online Presenter. Reimagining Leadership Through the Generative Gaze of the Forgotten and Excluded, Interactive Roundtable, Women’s Leadership: Identity, Intersectionality & Institutions, International Leadership Association, Reimagining Leadership Together 23rd Global Conference, October 2021.
- Invited Online Presenter. Respect—Making Your Mess, Your Message: What I Learned About Courageous Truth-telling from Gender-based Violence, Postdoctoral Research, Center for Black Studies Research, University of California at Santa Barbara, May 2021.
- Invited Online Presenter. Generativity—Keys to Intergenerational Collaboration and Reciprocal Capacity Building, Interactive Roundtable, International Leadership Association, Women and Leadership, June 2020.
- Invited Online Presenter. Mysticism and Pragmatism: An Eclectic Approach to Overcoming during a 21st Century Pandemic, IMA Spring Colloquium, Antioch University, May 9, 2020.
- Invited Online Presenter. “Your Best Self: The Power of Self Reflection.” Two-part workshop for Young Iraqi Women in collaboration with the U.S. Consulate General, Erbil, Iraq, 2019.
- Recipient of merit-based Weisman and Wayland Scholarship supports doctoral students who are dedicated to scholarship and practice that directly impacts and improves the lives of women and/or girls in the United States or abroad.
- Recipient of Fulbright Specialist Grant “Arts and Generative Leadership, 2023/4
- Recipient of Archie Green Fellowship, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress, Playing the Angels’ Game: Exploring Perspectives of Black Foreign Service Women, 2023/24
- Gerald R. Davis Prize, American Folklore Society, William R. Tolbert Oral History, 2023
- Recipient of merit-based Guskin Scholars’ Fund in Leadership & Change, supports students committed to improve the quality of life for individuals, communities,
- Harriman Award, American Foreign Service Association for the extraordinary contributions to the practice of diplomacy exemplifying intellectual courage and a zeal for creative accomplishment.
- American Folklore Society
- American Foreign Service Association
- Arts-based Research Global Consortium
- Kappa Delta Pi, Honor Society in International Education
- Oral History Association
- International Career Advancement Program
- International Leadership Association
- South County Economic Development Association
- National Storytelling Network
- Salzburg Global Seminar
- Experienced leader skilled in building strong, mutually beneficial relationships;
- Critical thinker and creative problem solver focused on delivering high-quality results;
- Proven track record of articulating and implementing U.S. foreign policy effectively;
- Led high-performance teams in several international contexts;
- Outstanding interpersonal, intergenerational and multicultural communication skills;
- Significant experience in executing projects in collaboration with host country nationals;\
- Maintained a robust public speaking practice engaging key stakeholders in academia, business, civil society, government, and the media on topics such as democratic governance, human rights, STEAM, the environment, youth, and women’s empowerment.
Co-Facilitated Captsone and Thesis Course 2023
Designed and delivered the following graduate courses:
- • Arts Based Research & Current Events (SSC 5750)
- • Creative Expression & Community Resistance (HUM-6210-1A)
- • Participatory Action Research, Critical Consciousness & Creative Expression (HUM/ SSC 5750)
- • Transpersonal Creativity & Generative Leadership (SSC 6210).