For this week’s show, we’re joined by Dr. Pooneh Lari, an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator for NC State’s Training & Development Program.
Dr. Lari and her colleagues are responsible for educating the next generation of instructional designers while also helping mid-career professionals further their education or get valuable credentials for advancement.
You can connect with Dr. Lari here via Linkedin, and find out more about NC State’s Training & Development Program, under the Department of Educational Leadership, Policy and Human Development here.
Find Leading L&D anywhere you listen to podcasts, including Apple and Spotify, where you’ll be able to find our past conversations with learning leaders.
Here’s a full playlist:
Summary
Leading L&D welcomes Dr. Pooneh Lari , an associate professor at North Carolina State University’s Training and Development program. Dr. Lari discusses their 36-credit hour, 100% online master’s program in Educational Leadership Policy and Human Development. She explains that while the program welcomes recent graduates, most students are working professionals who typically complete the program in 2-2.5 years. The program offers various certificates (15 credit hours) in areas like community college teaching and instructional design. Graduates develop diverse skills including instructional design, needs assessment, evaluation, research, team management, and negotiation. Dr. Lari emphasizes the program’s role in preparing students for corporate L&D positions and discusses how the PhD program can lead to both academic and senior corporate positions like Chief Learning Officer. The conversation also touches on internship opportunities, the importance of aligning L&D with organizational strategy, and the value of formal education in strengthening practical experience.
Highlights
Introduction to NCSU’s Training and Development Program
Adrian West introduces Dr. Lari, who has been with North Carolina State University for 20 years. The program is housed in the Department of Educational Leadership Policy and Human Development (ELPHD), offering a 36-credit hour master’s degree that is 100% online, making it accessible for working professionals.
Program Structure and Student Demographics
Dr. Lari explains that while the program accepts recent graduates, most students are non-traditional working professionals. Students typically complete the program in 2-2.5 years part-time. The program also offers 15-credit hour certificates in areas such as community college teaching, talent development, and instructional design.
Skills and Competencies Developed
Graduates develop multiple competencies including instructional design, needs assessment, evaluation, research skills, team management, collaboration, time management, and negotiation skills. The program emphasizes alignment with organizational strategic goals and includes real-life projects.
Capstone Projects and Evaluation
Dr. Lari describes the capstone project as a portfolio course where students showcase their best work and reflect on themes such as instructional design, leadership, or evaluation. The discussion includes the potential value of publishing these projects for industry reference.
PhD Program and Career Advancement
The PhD program specializes in educational leadership policy with a focus on adult and lifelong education. Graduates pursue both academic careers and senior corporate positions such as Chief Learning Officer or directors of institutional effectiveness.
Personal Journey and Industry Impact
The interview concludes with Dr. Lari sharing her personal journey into academia, influenced by her academic family background. She emphasizes the program’s role in helping professionals retool and upskill, particularly those affected by corporate layoffs, and the importance of understanding both practical and theoretical foundations of L&D.
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
I’m a storyteller!
Exactly how I’ve told stories has changed through the years, going from writing college basketball analysis in the pages of a newspaper to now, telling the stories of the people of TimelyText. Nowadays, that means helping a talented technical writer land a new gig by laying out their skills, or even a quick blog post about a neat project one of our instructional designers is finishing in pharma.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.