Welcome to the Director Download, powered by Campus Rec Magazine.
It’s time to go behind the curtain of the director role and have honest discussions with leaders in the campus recreation industry.
In this episode, host Grady Sheffield, the director of Campus Recreation at Towson University and the senior advisor to the Campus Rec Mastermind Groups, gives you the listener real and authentic conversation between himself and special guest Jen Gudaz, the senior associate director of Athletics and the director of Physical Education and Recreation at Cornell University.
Growing up on the West Coast, Gudaz learned much from her experiences there, becoming a jack of all trades. Moving east, she began her work at Cornell and hasn’t looked back since.
Gudaz shares on the Physical Education and Recreation programs at Cornell and all they offer. In terms of leadership, over the years she’s learned not only how to lead from a place of compassion but also about what makes her a successful leader.
She wears many hats, but the most surprising one deals with a sorority — you’ll have to listen to find out. Plus, Gudaz shares what her biggest challenge is right now, how she deals with her own mental well-being, and whether or not she’s a rebel.
Show Notes from the Conversation with Jen Gudaz
- Why Jen Gudaz’ parents were concerned when she said she wanted to be a rec major at 2:42.
- Remembering what is was like hiring student staff at 4:13.
- Listen at 6:04 on how Jen made her way to the East Coast.
- Why she owes a lot to Matt Levy at 6:58.
- Getting involved in community recreation, Gudaz dove into the deep end — literally. Listen at 8:22.
- At 11:02, here’s how they got creative at Western Washington.
- Breaking down campus rec at Cornell and her time there at 12:54.
- Her journey through NIRSA and what she learned while serving at 14:06.
- The advice she has for young professionals on involvement in NIRSA at 17:07.
- What Gudaz thinks makes her successful as a leader at 18:01.
- Diving deeper into her analytical mindset at 20:52.
- She shares about leading from a place of compassion at 22:39.
- Digging into the Physical Education program at Cornell at 25:52.
- The third and unusual job that Gudaz has. Find out at 28:02.
- She shares at 30:44 what her biggest challenge is right now.
- Gudaz reveals how she deals with her mental well-being amidst all the things at 33:28.
- Is she a rebel? Find out at 36:01.
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