Dr. Kenn Gaither

Donors to Elon LEADS contributed close to $8 million to support the work of faculty and staff mentors and keep them on the leading edge of knowledge in their fields to promote student success. These investments propelled Elon to the #1 national ranking for undergraduate teaching.

When I’m asked what makes Elon special, the answer is easy. It’s the mentoring relationships between faculty and staff and our students. So much in higher education can be replicated, but those collaborative relationships are uniquely Elon, where mentoring is part of our core mission as educators. In my more than two decades at Elon, nothing has been more meaningful than mentoring students. It inspires me every day. —Dr. Kenn Gaither, Interim Dean of the Elon School of Communications and A.J. Fletcher Endowed Professor of Strategic Communications