FAMU associate professor and chair of the Department of Social Work Merlin R. Langley has been accepted to the Management Development Program (MDP) at Harvard. The program is scheduled for June 5 through June 17.Langley, who serves as the coordinator of the Human Behavior and Social Environment sequence in the master’s of social work program in community based social service administration at FAMU, has held faculty appointments at Roxbury Community College, Lesley College and Harvard Medical School.
“I am pleased to have been selected for this prestigious management development program,” said Langley. “The opportunity to be involved in the MDP will permit me to assist the FAMU administration in moving forward important initiatives related to the historic mission of the University. I am confident that my participation in the MDP will enable me to enhance my leadership and academic management skills that will benefit both my department and our University.”
The Management Development Program prepares administrators to become better leaders of their respective units, departments or colleges, as well as a more valuable contributor to broader institutional goals. Through real-world case studies, small group discussions and interactive presentations, MDP teaches individuals to think beyond their own discipline and lead in ways that support larger institutional objectives.
Langley’s education and training in the social and behavioral sciences are interdisciplinary in nature. He has taught over the past two decades undergraduate and graduate students from diverse background in several disciplines. His research interests are in the areas of leadership development, higher education and social work administration, civic engagement, and health and mental health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities. He has been the principal investigator of a number of state and federal grants and has written several refereed journal articles and book chapters in the abovementioned areas.