About Lisa Burgess:

Lisa Burgess is the Dean of STEM at Bucks County Community College with over 25 years of experience in STEM pedagogy, curriculum development, program assessment, faculty development, student success initiatives, and strategic leadership. Previously, she served in multiple roles at Broward College, including professor of biological and physical sciences and Coordinator of Faculty Development at the Greene Center for International Education, supporting faculty at 14 international centers. She later became Assistant Director for the Center for Teaching & Learning at Boston University, where she worked with faculty on evidence-based teaching, SoTL, and integrating AI into instruction. An accomplished lecturer, Burgess has presented on generative AI, academic integrity in online science courses, and co-authored Everyday Biology: #WhatsThePoint (2018). A first-generation community college graduate, she holds an A.S. from Broward College, a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Florida Atlantic University, an M.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Florida, and an M.S. in Biotechnology and Molecular and Cell Biology from Johns Hopkins University.

In this episode, Kevin and Lisa Burgess discuss:

• Leading through active listening and kindness
• Nonlinear paths into leadership
• Supporting today’s students in a high-pressure world
• Helping students discover rather than dictating their paths
• Practical wisdom for life and career growth

Key Takeaways:

• Listening is a core leadership superpower. Stepping out from behind the desk, removing distractions, and reflecting back what you hear builds trust and helps people feel genuinely heard.
• Nonlinear paths still lead to meaningful leadership. Lisa’s journey—from dropping out of high school to becoming a Dean of STEM—shows that setbacks and detours can become the very experiences that prepare you to lead.
• Education works best when it’s expansive, not transactional. Students benefit when colleges expose them to multiple disciplines, support exploration, and connect them with resources like career and internship services.
• Kindness and curiosity reduce the gap between students and institutions. Approaching students and colleagues with empathy, open dialogue, and an assumption of good intent helps navigate generational differences and systemic pressures.

"I just really believe sometimes we get a little caught up in what we think it should be, and we don't really give people an opportunity to do what it is they want to do." – Lisa Burgess

Connect with Lisa Burgess:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lisa-burgess-0b4816b

Connect with Kevin Neal:

Website: https://drkdneal.com

Book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0C47RZDSS

https://www.amazon.com/Guided-Greatness-Mentorship-Developing-professionals-ebook/dp/B0FGBH1VNS

Email: coachkd63@gmail.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkd63