MILWAUKEE (Aug. 4, 2026) — Mount Mary University will welcome educator, author and leadership expert Dr. Melissa Shew as the keynote speaker for its 2026 Voices of Leadership event on Thursday, Nov. 12. 

The annual event brings nationally recognized women leaders to campus to share insights about leadership, innovation and creating meaningful social change. This year’s presentation, “Leading with and for Intellectual Joy,” will address the barriers that prevent many women from being fully recognized as thinkers and leaders, while offering concrete steps toward creating environments where empowerment can thrive. 

Shew serves as Associate Director of Teaching Excellence and Faculty Director of the Executive MBA Program at Marquette University. An award-winning educator and scholar, Shew is the editor of Philosophy for Girls: An Invitation to the Life of Thought and On the Vocation of the Educator in This Moment. She is also the author of The Power of Intellectual Joy for Women at Work and its companion workbook, which explore how curiosity and lifelong learning can transform professional and personal lives. Her TEDx talk, “Women and Intellectual Empowerment,” highlights the importance of fostering confidence, critical thinking and intellectual engagement among women. 

Early bird tickets are available through Sept. 30. For more information about Mount Mary University’s Voices of Leadership series, visit mtmary.edu/vol.