Dr. Lauren Eder

Dr. Lauren Eder, chairperson of the department of computer information systems (CIS) in the College of Business Administration, and Laura Seplaki, assistant dean of students for student life at Westminster Choir College, are the first recipients of the Mazzotti Awards in Women’s Leadership at Rider University.

The awards, funded through the generosity of Joan Mazzotti ’72, former chair of the Rider University Board of Trustees, and her husband, Michael Kelly, offer opportunities for women faculty and staff members to attend leadership development programs that will benefit the Rider community and contribute to the professional development of the recipients.

Eder will attend either The Women’s Leadership Program in San Diego, CA, or Greensboro, NC, this summer sponsored by The Center for Creative Leadership, a leading nonprofit institution dedicated exclusively to leadership. In December, Seplaki will travel to Amelia Island Plantation in Florida to attend the Women’s Leadership Institute, a program sponsored by the Association of College Unions International.

Award recipients are expected to share their experiences with the Rider community. The awards’ initiative responds to objectives in the Rider University Strategic Plan to enhance training in leadership skills for faculty and staff.

Eder joined Rider in 1996 as a visiting instructor in the College of Business Administration while pursuing her Ph.D. at Drexel University. Upon earning her doctorate, she became an assistant professor in 1998 and was promoted to assistant professor II in 1999 and associate professor with tenure in 2001. In addition to teaching a variety of CIS courses, she has participated in several committees and initiatives. She was the first Rider faculty member to initiate the use of Blackboard at Shanghai Sanda Institute and the first to teach a “hybrid” course for Sanda students on site in Shanghai and via distance education.

“Starting in the business world as a corporate technical instructor and later as a marketing representative, I learned the value of effective communication and negotiating skills,” said Eder. “As an academic, my skill set has expanded to include research, teaching and collaboration in the information systems field.

“An effective leader has a certain magnetism that draws people together with a common vision and set of goals,” she continued. “I am thrilled and extremely appreciative of the opportunity that the Mazzotti Award will provide me to refine, integrate, and enhance my existing skill set as I focus on developing and building valuable leadership qualities that I can use at Rider.”

Laura Seplaki

Seplaki began her work experience as a counseling intern in the Counseling Center at the Westminster campus during the 2002-2003 academic year. Shortly after graduating from The College of New Jersey in 2003, she was appointed assistant dean of students for Student Life at Westminster. As assistant dean, Seplaki leads all aspects of residence life and advises Westminster’s Student Government Association (SGA) Executive Board.

“At Westminster, I serve, teach and advise a significant number of student leaders, so it is essential that I continue to refine my own skills and abilities as an administrator and adviser,” said Seplaki.

"Being able to teach and serve as a role model requires a high level of leadership," she said. "This is beneficial to the culture of leadership we are fostering here. I am both honored and grateful to have received the Mazzotti Award, and I look forward to the opportunity it will afford me.”

Jan Friedman-Krupnick, assistant vice president for student affairs and chair of the awards selection committee, is excited about what the future holds for award recipients and the University at-large.

“Thanks to the generosity of Joan Mazzotti ’72, former chair of the Rider University Board of Trustees, and her husband, Michael Kelly, the committee is very pleased to be able to offer this opportunity for professional and personal development to two outstanding members of the Rider community,” she said.

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