Faculty Advisors

Leigh Z. Gilchrist

Leigh Z. Gilchrist  is an Associate Professor of the Practice and Director of Undergraduate Studies in Human and Organizational Development at Peabody College.  She received her M.Ed. in Human Development Counseling and her doctorate in Higher Education Administration both degrees from Vanderbilt University. She has taught throughout the HOD program in courses that include health service delivery to diverse populations, small group behavior, mental health and mental illness, non-profit leadership, service-learning, and college student development.

Leigh’s research and practice interests focus on experiential education in both higher education and secondary education with particular focus on service-learning and community engagement. She has published and presented on a variety of topics exploring the relationship between academic service-learning and features such as academy-community partnerships, student development, servant leadership, small group dynamics, program design, and assessment.

As a consultant, Leigh works with local and national non-profits in the area of organizational systems, professional development, and program design. She also enjoys working with college and universities as well as K-12 institutions in developing their service-learning programs and their campus-community partnerships.

She lives in Brentwood, TN with her husband, two children, and dog.