In her Director of Arts & Humanities role, Leslie works to enhance community vitality by utilizing the University of Iowa's arts and cultural resources. She also oversees the Arts Share program, facilitating arts outreach and engagement initiatives for over 25 years. Leslie received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Piano Performance from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and a Ph.D. in Musicology from the University of Iowa. Before working at the University of Iowa, she taught music history and piano at Coe College.