Eric Louérs-Phillips, DOL: The First Hood College Doctoral Graduate

On May 6, 2019, Eric Louérs-Phillips, DOL successfully defended his dissertation titled “Leadership Style, Leader–Follower Congruence, & the Implementation of a Cultural Proficiency Initiative.” This is a monumental day in the history of Hood College Graduate School as Eric Louérs-Phillips, DOL is the first student to successfully defend and graduate from the doctoral program in Organizational Leadership.

His dissertation was a case study on the phenomenon of leader–follower congruence. It examined how the leadership style (LS) of a school principal is perceived in the first year of implementing a school–based cultural proficiency (CP) initiative. The study examined 11 principals from elementary, middle, and high schools in one large Mid–Atlantic public school district. In schools where leader–follower congruence of the principal’s transformational LS is high, the CP initiative was implemented in a manner that engaged and supported staff in starting the process of changing practices, attitudes, and structures that do not meet the needs of all students.

Eric Louérs-Phillips, DOL is the Supervisor of Accelerating Achievement and Equity (Pre-K-12) at Frederick County Public Schools , as well as an adjunct professor at Hood College. When asked why the doctoral program is so important to him, he responded:

“Teaching is my vocation and occupation. As a Bible teacher (personally) and public educator (professionally), I enjoy the privilege of imparting knowledge to others. Before one can impart knowledge, however, one must first be a student, something I enjoy immensely. My journey to earn a doctoral degree is a personal one. As someone who enjoys the process of being schooled, I’ll earn the highest academic degree possible - not for monetary gain, job advancement, or to be elevated in the eyes of some - but for me. It’s a personal goal that I know will increase my ability to serve effectively in my professional capacity, but it will also be the final piece of a “hobby” I enjoy: going to school.”

Inspired by Eric Louérs-Phillips's journey to #GOFURTHER in your education? Learn about Hood College's Doctorate of Organizational Leadership program by clicking here.