PDN Directory
Locate past alumni and present students associated with our WFED/OD&C program who have joined our Professional Development Network by providing their contact information.
Please, fill out the opt-in form to be included in the directory (Need to update/edit your info? Complete and submit the form again. Have a question/suggestion? Send an email to Jose Sandoval-Llanos [email protected]).
Directory
Short Bio:
Issa Jalal Al Balushi is a third-year doctorate student in Workforce Education and Development Program at Penn State University. I am originally from Oman. My research of interest is related to HRD and OD as training impacts measurement, employees’ performance improvement, and leadership behaviors in healthcare. I worked in the Ministry of Health in Oman for 17 years as a training and professional development specialist in one of the tertiary hospitals. I obtained my master’s degree in Medical Education from the United Kingdom and worked as a master trainer for many training programs in the health care field in Oman. Currently, I am a member of the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD), the National Career Development Association (NCDA), and the International Society for Organization Development and Change (ISODC).
Current role:
Ph.D. Student, Graduate Assistant.
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Training and Staff Development.
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Leading factors to Human Resource outcomes.
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Leading Factors to Hope in the Healthcare.
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Leadership Behaviors.
Email:
Links:
Short Bio:
Dr. Ibrahim Alshebl is passionate about learning, innovation, development, and helping people achieve their career aspirations. He is a self-employed Consultant in Human Resource and Development and Organization Development (HRD/OD), Strategic Leadership Development, and Talent Development and Management. He is also a Board Member of Gulf ODN and a Fellow of the Institute of Systems Wisdom.
Dr. Alshebl earned his Ph.D. degree in Workforce Education & Development (WFED) with an emphasis in HRD/OD from Penn State University. In addition, he holds a master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) and a bachelor’s degree in International Business Administration.
Dr. Alshebl has over twenty years of professional experience in the Saudi banking industry, holding different management positions and leadership roles in private and public sectors. This has given him an edge in terms of in-depth experience and real-life applications of business leadership and human resources development practices.
Current role:
A self-employed consultant in HRD/OD
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Human Resource Development (HRD).
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Organization Development and Change (OD&C).
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Strategic Leadership and Talent Development.
Email:
Links:
Short Bio:
Behnam Bakhshandeh is an accomplished personal and professional development expert, known widely as a dynamic writer, speaker, personal and business coach, and trainer. Implementing his skills as a passionate, visionary leader, he produces extraordinary results in record time. Behnam’s formal education includes a Ph.D. in the Workforce Education and Development (WFED) with a concentration on Organization Development (OD) and Human Resources Development (HRD) from the Pennsylvania State University, a master’s degree in Professional Studies in Organization Development and Change (OD&C) from the Pennsylvania State University, World Campus, and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Phoenix.
He is also the founder and president of Primeco Education, Inc. (www.PrimecoEducation.com) a coaching and consulting company working with individuals, teams, and organizations on their personal and professional development since 1993. He has authored and published 4 books in the personal and professional development industry. His last two books on the genre of OD are High-Performance Coaching for Managers (Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2022) and Organization Development Intervention (Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2021). The other two titles are Anatomy of Upset; Restoring Harmony (Primeco Education, 2015), and Conspiracy for Greatness; Mastery of Love Within (Primeco Education, 2009). Besides these books, he has designed and facilitated 17 coaching modules for individuals, couples, public, teams, and organizations, 9 audio/video workshops, 16 Articles on personal & professional development topics, and 21 seminars and workshops.
Current role:
Founder & President of Primeco Education, Inc.
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Personal and Professional Development.
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Executive Coaching and Team Coaching.
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Organization Development Interventions.
Email:
Links:
Short Bio:
S. Ron Banerjee, M.P.S., CCP, CFS, CLTC, is a financial advisor specializing in the tax-exempt markets for Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. Banerjee is also a Training and Development Officer for the Center for Independent Living of Central PA. He is a Ph.D. student in the Workforce Education and Development program with a Human Resource Development focus at the Penn State University (ABD) and received his Master of Professional Studies degree in Organization Development and Change from the same university. Banerjee is a Prosci® Certified Change Professional with ADKAR® and large-scale change expertise. Banerjee is a decorated disabled veteran of the U.S. Navy and has been nationally recognized by the US Veterans Administration as an advocate for his fellow disabled veterans. Banerjee is also an active community leader holding Board and leadership positions in a variety of organizations including the Organization Development Network, Meals on Wheels of State College, the International Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta, and the Penn State University World Campus Alumni Society.
Current role:
Financial Advisor/Training Officer, Voya Financial Advisors
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Rapid Response OD in Crisis Management.
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Large Scale Interventions.
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Appreciative Coaching and Dialogic OD.
Email:
Short Bio:
Director of Professional Development and Student Engagement for the Penn State School of Public Policy as well as a Teaching Professor of Public Policy. President of Catherine Baumgardner & Associates, Inc., a firm specializing in leadership and organization consultative support. Experienced health care executive with nearly 30 years of day-to-day operational experience and is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. Also, Adjunct Faculty at The University of Alabama at Birmingham teaching leadership in the Healthcare Quality Management Masters Degree program, and is also resident faculty for the Pennsylvania Medical Society Physician Leadership Academy. Catherine is Immediate Past Chair of The Ohio State University Alumni Association Board of Directors, a member of the Advancement Committee of The Ohio State University Board of Trustees, and a member of the Development Committee of The Ohio State University Foundation Board.
Current role:
Director of Professional Development and Student Engagement, Penn State School of Public Policy; President, Catherine Baumgardner & Associates, Inc.
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Leadership Development.
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Employee Engagement.
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Talent Management.
Email:
Links:
Short Bio:
Eric Bergstrom is an Assistant Teaching Professor in Penn State’s College of Education, Workforce Education and Development program and a career transition senior consultant. In private industry, Eric held leadership positions in organization development, human resource management, and operations management. Eric has significant experience teaching / facilitating courses and programs in business management, training and development, organization development, and workforce education and development. Eric has extensive experience in assessing, training, and coaching individual contributors and leaders, designing and implementing talent development programs/processes, and guiding change efforts as both an internal and external organizational development consultant.
Current role:
Assistant Teaching Professor, Penn State - Workforce Education & Development /Learning & Performance Systems
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Leadership Competencies.
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Organization Development / Process Improvement.
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Career Development / Career Transition.
Email:
Alumni. Masters' OD & Change
Short Bio:
I am a talent management leader with experience in multiple disciplines of human capital management. This includes change management, process improvement, employee engagement, digital transformation efforts, team development, performance management, and project management.
I am a proactive business partner who supports change management and leadership development. With over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, from the front line to the back office, I have a breadth and depth of knowledge about organizational effectiveness in this space.
I believe that people and teams working together towards a common goal of uplifting others and reaching out can improve the well-being of family, friends, co-workers, and strangers. There is so much we can do together when we build teams and organizations that value diversity and empower people to do their best work.
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Organizational culture.
Email:
Short Bio:
Matthew is a former Career and Technical Education teacher and aerospace specialist at the Boeing Company with an MEd in Educational Leadership. He is a Ph.D. student at The Pennsylvania State University studying workforce education with a research interest in online experiential learning and digital apprenticeships.
Current Role:
Education Program Specialist, Professional Development Center, The Pennsylvania State University
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Online Experiential Learning and Digital Apprenticeships.
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Workforce and Educator Professional Development.
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Career and Technical Education Research and Policy.
Email:
Short Bio:
I am a practitioner, consultant, and facilitator with expertise in human capital, organization development, knowledge management, and change leadership. I have experience in Human Resources, Learning & Development, and Operations. I enjoy helping clients solve complex, strategic challenges that move organizations forward. I am passionate about supporting positive change at the individual, team, and organization levels. I have a track record of building successful teams and programs that help solve today’s wicked problems with tomorrow’s innovative solutions.
Current role:
Graduate Student, OD & Change.
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Organization Development.
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Knowledge Management.
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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.
Email:
Links:
Biography:
Dr. William Brendel is an Assistant Professor of Organization Development and Change for the College of Education at Penn State University. After earning a doctorate in adult learning and leadership at Columbia University, William Brendel went on to become a scholar-practitioner in the field of Organization Development (OD), a diverse profession that uses caring and collaborative approaches to change based on behavioral science to improve individual well-being and organizational prosperity in schools, communities, organizations, and governments. Before Penn State, William was an assistant professor at Texas A&M University, Temple University, and the University of St. Thomas, where he established the Project for Mindfulness & Contemplative Practice.
Combining the ancient wisdom tradition of mindfulness practice with modern neuroscience, William’s signature contribution to his field is Conscious Organization Development. This innovative approach utilizes contemplative practices to reorient consciousness, reduce psychological attachments to expertise and ego, improve physiological well-being, and support organizational innovation and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts.
William Brendel was nationally recognized in 2021 by the OD Network as a recipient of the “Lisa Kimball Award for Evolving the Field of OD” for his research on Conscious OD and for educating the public on OD principles through interviews in outlets such as Variety Magazine, the Star Tribune, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, as well as through his innovative web-resource OpenSourceOD.com, which hosts:
- M.O.S.T. Meaningful Careers, an assessment and customized report that helps OD graduate students and professionals identify their career calling.
- Immersive Learning Circles, a set of scenario-based video simulations that help OD practitioners develop and infuse mindfulness practice in their craft.
- Innovation Labs, a space for OD students, practitioners, and researchers to prototype, test, and share new Conscious OD applications.
William also serves as an Associate Editor for the journal Organizations. He has numerous publications in journals, including the OD Review, OD Journal, Journal of Transformative Education, Journal of Management Development, and Advances in Human Resource Development. His recent co-edited book represents the History and Evolution of Organization Development through the lens of OD thought leaders from the inception of the field in 1968 through 2022.
William has served on the OD Network Board of Trustees and is the current chair of the OD Education Association.
Email:
Links:
Short Bio:
Jamie Campbell was a member of the inaugural class of CEO Action for Racial Equity Fellows. The fellows will identify and assess current policies in four key areas: healthcare, education, economic empowerment, and public safety, and then recommend how existing policies can be amplified, changed to meet its intended purpose or propose new policies. Fellows will review policies through four key criteria: impact, effort, risk, and status. His efforts here were focused on constitutional educational amendments and national police reform. Jamie was the recipient of the 2013 Dr. James Robinson Equal Opportunity Award. Jamie has been published in various texts and is an editor on Rethinking Organizational Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion A Step-by-Step Guide for Facilitating Effective Change. Jamie serves as the Assistant Dean for Diversity Enhancement Programs at the Smeal College of Business. He is a 1995 graduate of Morehouse College where he obtained his BA in Sociology. He obtained his M.Ed with concentrations in Adult Education and Instruction Education from Central Michigan University in 2003. Presently, Jamie earned a Ph.D. in Workforce Education Program with concentrations in Organization Design and Human Resource Development at The Pennsylvania State University.
Current role:
Assistant Dean, Diversity Enhancement Programs,
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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DEIBA.
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Succession Planning.
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Crisis Management.
Email:
Short Bio:
I am passionately invested in the biggest asset of any organization - the people. I am dedicated to supporting the individual, group, team, and organization to strive for excellence.
Current Role:
Change Management Consultant, Penn State University
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Organization Development.
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Change Management.
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Dispute Resolution.
Email:
Short Bio:
Abby, Yu-Ling Chang, Certified Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF) and Advanced Practitioner in Hope-Action Theory and Practice, is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Workforce Education and Development and Counselor Education at Penn State University. Abby has a decade of work experience in talent assessment, training and development, and financial technology (FinTech). Her diverse expertise in economics, psychology, and data analytics enable her to converge interdisciplinary knowledge in advancing the field of HRD and OD. Her recent research has largely focused on leveraging technology and data analytics to empower people and organizations to change, grow, and realize their full potential as unique beings.
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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HR Analytics.
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AI and Machine Learning.
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Career Development.
Email:
Links:
Alumni. Masters Organization Development & Change
Short Bio:
Steph Corby currently works in Operational Excellence as the lead of a team of CQI Ambassadors whose mission is to share information, educate, and facilitate improvement efforts across the organization.
Current Role:
Operational Excellence Specialist.
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Continuous Quality Improvement.
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Business Process Improvement.
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Training.
Email:
Links:
Short Bio:
As a champion of change and people, Dr. Cromwell has focused her career on helping people and organizations thrive. As an educator, trainer, consultant, she has gained experience and wisdom not only from her work but more importantly from the people and organizations she serves. As she has navigated the world of change in organizations and the impact on people, she understands how successful change management practices contribute to organizational excellence and success. Dr. Cromwell currently serves as the Sr. Director of Organizational Change Management for Penn State’s Finance and Business division. The office is responsible for leading change management and organizational excellence efforts within the division. Prior to this role, she served as Director of Workforce Learning & Performance, responsible for leading the University’s learning and talent management initiatives. Prior to that, she also served as Sr. Director of Talent Management for Penn State Outreach as well as other talent-related positions within the University's Human Resource Division. She has also served as Regional Human Resource Manager and Manager of Recruitment and Management Development for Agway, Inc., Syracuse, NY. She also held similar positions with the Pennsylvania Department of Education and Highmark Blue Shield as well as getting her start and love of helping others succeed as an agricultural education teacher. She also operated a small consulting business providing organizational development and training services to a variety of clients. Dr. Cromwell received her Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University in Workforce Education and Development with an emphasis in leadership development/organization development. She has an M.Ed. from Penn State and a B.S. from Delaware Valley University. She has published on the topic of transfer of training and the importance of management support and continues to teach online and mentor students. She is a certified Prosci change and HCI practitioner.
Current role:
Sr. Director of Organizational Change Management, Penn State’s Finance and Business division.
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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OD/ Change Management.
Email:
Short Bio:
Senior Internal Consultant for Talent Experience at Pegasystems. Grad school student in the OD program.
Current role:
Senior Talent Experience Partner, Pegasystems.
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Organizational dynamics.
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Leadership Development.
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Change Management.
Email:
Links:
Titles:
Ph.D., Workforce Education, Penn State MBA, Clarion University B.S., Civil Engineering, Penn State
Current role:
Professor of Education (WFED), Penn State University.
Short bio:
Dr. Wesley E. Donahue is the coordinator of the online Master of Professional Studies in Organization Development and Change and an instructor of related courses and programs. An experienced researcher, developer, and leadership consultant, he has an extensive manufacturing, engineering, sales, and management background, having started and operated businesses for more than 30 years. Dr. Donahue is a registered professional engineer, six-sigma black belt, and author of a host of education and training materials.
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
Leadership and Talent Development Continuous Process Improvement.
Email:
Links:
Short Bio:
Sagun is a Ph.D. Candidate at Learning, Design, and Technology Program at Penn State College of Education. He is a doctoral advisee of Dr. Gabriela T. Richard. His research focuses on the implementation of productive failure learning design in open-ended problem settings in K-12 educational spaces to evaluate the efficacy of such design on students learning, conceptual understanding, collaboration, and problem-solving. His research interests also include computational thinking and developing STEM self-efficacy by making e-textile wearables using and integrating various digital and fabrication maker toolkits.
Current role:
Graduate Assistant, LDT, WFED.
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Productive failure.
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Makerspaces.
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STEM competency.
Email:
Short Bio:
Co-Founder of JKAN Consulting, Rob culminated a 26-year military career in 2014 with service almost exclusively in Airborne, Mountain, and Ranger units. With 7 operational deployments, Rob has proven himself in the most trying of circumstances as a leader of large-scale, multi-national, interagency organizations. At the conclusion of his government service, Rob has found continued success working as a government consultant as well as operations and quality manager for Amazon NAFC.
Current role:
Leadership and Organizational Consultant; Government Consultant.
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Leadership and Organizational Performance.
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Leadership, Organizational, and Operational Assessment.
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Leadership and Organizational Efficiency.
Email:
Short Bio:
I have spent the last 10 years leading organizational-change, initiative-change, and enterprise-change management for the Department of Defense, the Air Force, the Army, and the Department of Agriculture. In addition, I am an associate professor at Arizona Western College.
Current role:
Associate professor, Arizona Western College.
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Training Strategy, Design, and Creation.
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Policy Development.
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Organization Transformation.
Email:
Links:
Alumni. MPS Organization Development and Change
Short Bio:
I am a CFO and a Certified Management Accountant with a Master's in OD&C. With these credentials and my 25+ years of experience in business, I am a strong leader, a good listener, and a valuable collaborator in any organizational setting.
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
- Ethical C-Suite Leaders.
- Creating and sustaining healthy work cultures.
- Successfully integrating remote workforces.
Email:
Short Bio:
Change Manager with 4 years experience helping organizations realize ROI on technical and system improvements.
Current Role:
Change Manager in the communications sector
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Change Management.
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Organizational Development.
Email:
Links:
Short Bio:
After spending 15 years in a hospitality operation, I took a turn in my career and transitioned into organization development in 2016. My life-long goal is to help organizations address systemic and systematic issues, manage changes, and create a positive work environment where people can thrive and achieve personal aspirations. I have focused my practice on continuous process improvements, leadership development, and coaching in recent years.
Current role:
Graduate Student, Master of Professional Studies in OD&C (Expected Dec 2022).
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Leadership competencies and development.
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Organization change and development consulting.
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Workforce education and development.
Email:
Links:
Short Bio:
Talent Development professional with a background in change management.
Current role:
Student, MPS in Organization Development and Change.
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Change management in a virtual environment.
Email:
Links:
Short Bio:
As a Program Manager with the Penn State College of Medicine, Laura has been assisting with development and change for the last 11 years of her career. She currently manages the Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center, a joint federal and state program, that maintains 7 centers across the state of Pennsylvania. Laura's work focuses on recruiting, training, and retaining health professions across the state of Pennsylvania, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
Current Role:
Program Manager, Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center, Penn State College of Medicine
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Healthcare in rural and underserved areas.
Email:
Short Bio:
Katrina has extensive experience in Training and Development: strategic planning, facilitation, instructional design, learning management systems, mentoring, and coaching.
Current role:
Graduate Student, Master of Professional Studies in Organization Development and Change
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Organization Development.
Email:
Short Bio:
Lee has a Ph.D. in Workforce Education and Development with an emphasis on Human Resource and Development and Organization Development (HRD/OD) at the Pennsylvania State University. She has a Master's degree in Human Resource Development and Bachelor's degrees in Business Administration and in Educational Technology. She organized and hosted the WFED/OD&C complimentary OD webinar series. She worked as a teaching assistant for three courses: Needs assessment, Field-Based Project for Workforce Development Professionals, and Assessing Data: Organizational Diagnosis. She participated in many projects regarding job analysis, competency modeling, training/education program development, and organizational diagnosis. She is currently working at ATD as a global program expert.
Current Role:
Global Program Specialist at the Association for Talent Development (ATD)
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Workplace learning (Informal learning).
Email:
Links:
Short Bio:
Extensive experience working closely with C-suite and senior leaders to build stakeholder relationships, define strategy, and align execution to the developing needs of the organization across multiple Fortune 500 industries. Certified in MBTI, DiSC, EQ, StandOut, Co-Active Coaching, and other programs.
Current Role:
Sr. Leadership Development Consultant & Executive Coach, TMP & Associates (consulting & coaching) and Kaiser Permanente
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Executive/Leadership Coaching.
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Team Effectiveness.
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Leadership Development.
Email:
Links:
Short Bio:
I am an experienced Operational Effectiveness Senior Manager who is enthusiastic about practicing Organization Development (OD). I have focused my career on creating a better environment for employees through enablement support, including learning, coaching, knowledge management, and project delivery. I consistently leverage data and insights to ensure that initiatives are properly assessed and implemented.
Email:
Short Bio:
Dr. Jong Gyu Park is an Assistant Professor of Management in the Department of Business Administration at Pennsylvania State University-Altoona and a graduate faculty of Pennsylvania State University-University Park. Prior to joining Penn State, he worked for Deloitte and Willis Towers Watson as a management consultant, and for the Corporate University of LG Group (LG Academy) as a Human Resource Development professional. He earned his Ph.D. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Organization and Human Resources at the Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea, and also holds a Ph.D. in Workforce Education and Development at Penn State. His current specialist areas of interest and research include team leadership and informal networks in organizations.
Current role:
Assistant Professor of Management, Business Administration Department, Pennsylvania State Universtiy-Altoona.
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Team Leadership.
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Leadership and Organizational Development.
Email:
Links:
Short Bio:
Background in operating government-sponsored educational and social service programs, including Upward Bound, Area Agency on Aging, and Retired Senior Volunteer Program Ph.D. in Workforce Education and Development with an emphasis in Policy Analysis from Penn State University M.S.W. with an emphasis in Community Organization from the University of Maryland at Baltimore B.S. in Sociology/Social Welfare from Bloomsburg State College.
Current Role:
Director, Professional Personnel Development Center for Career and Technical Education
Teaching Professor, Workforce Education, and Development. I have taught WFED 001, 518, 546, and 560.
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Career and Technical Education policy.
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Grant writing.
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Program development.
Email:
Short Bio:
Troy is an assistant teaching professor of health policy and administration at Penn State. His previous teaching experience includes serving as an adjunct instructor in the MHA program at Penn State and the MBA program at Lebanon Valley College. Before joining Penn State, he was the CEO of OSS Health, an orthopedic specialty hospital and medical group in York, PA. His earlier roles include a Senior Director at Cerner Corporation, a CFO/Controller at a small community hospital, a Director of the Revenue Cycle at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center, a Manager of customer service operations at Coventry (now Aetna), and a paramedic supervisor at Lancaster EMS. He continues to maintain his Paramedic Certification. Troy is a Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) member and holds the Fellow of the Healthcare Financial Professional (FHFMA) credential. He is a member of the Project Management Institute and holds the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
Current Role:
Assistant Teaching Professor, Penn State
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Experiential Learning.
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Healthcare Financing and Healthcare.
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Data Visualization and Storytelling.
Email:
Short Bio:
Dr. Post specialized in Adult Learning, Organizational Development, and Accelerated Learning, including developing extensive leadership programs for many organizations. He has taught many different types of courses in the field of Training and Development, as well as Organizational Development both for the private sector and many Universities in Illinois and Pennsylvania. In addition to publishing articles and a book, he has built several corporate universities and held the position of VP/Director of Training/OD for many well-known companies. Many of those organizations received the Top 125 Training national recognition. Currently, he is teaching for two major Universities: Roosevelt in Chicago and Penn State. He has received his doctoral degree from Northern IL University, a Master’s degree from the University of IL, and a Bachelor's from Elmhurst College in IL.
Current role:
Adjunct Professor.
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Training & Development.
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Organizational Development.
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Leadership.
Email:
Links:
Graduate Student, WFED
Short Bio:
For the past 16 years, I have worked in various departments of the Suriname Police Corps (Forensics, Police Orchestra (clarinet), Police Academy, and police stations in various districts of our Police Corps. Currently, I’m an assistant commissioner in the police force and am in charge of eight police stations in the region called Commewijne. I specialize in setting up and launching training programs for the police academy and other security organizations in Suriname. I recently received an assignment from my Minister of Justice to lead a commission responsible for transforming the Police Academy in Suriname. Although I’m here in the United States of America, I’m doing my utmost to manage the team.
Furthermore, I am an educator in various social subjects such as Ethics, First Responder Training, First-Aid, and Music. Throughout the years, I have acquired a broad range of leadership-, management-, organizational-, coordination, communication- and problem-solving skills that I developed further while serving as an advisor on various committees as well as by coaching, writing, and managing educational programs. I love music and playing the clarinet and recorder as a hobby. I love to attend all kinds of music activities, such as concerts, musicals, and festivals. I love reading, being outdoors in nature, and enjoying living in a very quiet way.
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Education for Public security organizations. Especially law enforcement.
Email:
William J. Rothwell, Ph.D., DBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CPTD Fellow, RODC, FLMI, is a Distinguished Professor in the Workforce Education and Development program in the Department of Learning and Performance Systems, College of Education, in the University Park campus of Penn State University.
Work Experience:
Dr. Rothwell worked full-time in human resources, training, and Organization Development in both government (the Illinois Office of the Auditor General) and a wholly-owned subsidiary (Franklin Life Insurance) of a multinational company (American Brands, #48 on the Fortune 500 list) from 1979 until he joined Penn State University in 1993 as a professor to head up a graduate program in Human Resource Development/Organization Development. He has been a consultant for over 50 multinational companies. Among his many clients are Motorola University China, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Siemens, Sony, GM Shanghai, Phillips, Erickson, HP, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the American Red Cross, Care, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Postal Service, and many more. He has been President of two consulting firms: (1) Rothwell & Associates, Inc. and (2) Rothwell & Associates, LLC. He is also, with his wife, a business owner of The Rothwell Partnership, which controls seven homes for rent. From 1997 until 2022, he and his wife also owned and operated a personal care home for the elderly (Greenhills Village and Assisted Living Residence) licensed by the State of Pennsylvania for 54 residents. The business, sold in 2022, employed 27 full-time and part-time employees. In 2022 he and his wife purchased an 18-unit motel in State College, PA. Since business leaders who hear that Dr. Rothwell is a professor often jump to the conclusion he is all “ivory tower theory” and has no practical work experience, it is worth emphasizing he has extensive human resource experience in government, multinational business, consulting for many industries and economic sectors, and setting up and running several small and family businesses.
Education and Professional Certifications:
Dr. Rothwell earned his Bachelor’s degree in English with High Honors and Department Honors from Illinois State University; he earned a Master’s degree and completed all courses for the Ph.D. in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; he earned his Master of Arts in Business Administration (MABA) from Sangamon State University (a university since renamed by the Illinois Legislature as the University of Illinois at Springfield). In a degree program entirely separate from his background in English, he earned his Ph.D. with a specialization in Human Resource Development from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In 2022 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) by the Alliance International University in Dutch Curaçao in the Caribbean. He has also earned multiple professional certifications: life accreditation as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) from the Human Resource Certification Institute; the Society for Human Resource Management Senior Professional in Human Resources (SHRM-SCP); the Registered Organization Development Consultant (RODC) designation from the International Society for Organization Development and Change; and the Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) Fellow (member of the Hall of Fame) from the Association for Talent Development, formerly known as the American Society for Training and Development. He is also a Fellow of the Life Management Institute (FLMI) designation based on passing ten graduate courses in the insurance field. (The latter is essentially a master’s degree in insurance.)
International Work:
Dr. Rothwell has been to China 83 times, to Singapore 32 times, and has visited every continent (except Antarctica) to do training, consulting college teaching, and research. He has chaired 110 Ph.D. committees at Penn State, has served on doctoral committees at foreign universities in England, China, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates, and is still listed as a visiting professor at Nankai University in Tianjin China, a visiting professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in Shanghai China, and a special speaker at Renmin University in Beijing China. In 1999 and 2000, he taught 10 MBA courses at Nankai University, 10 MBA courses at Beijing University, and (in 2003) 4 5-day workshops to faculty at the renowned Islamic school Imam University in Saudi Arabia. His train-the-trainer programs have won global awards for excellence from Motorola University and consulting firm Linkage, Inc.
Awards:
In 2022 Dr. Rothwell was named a Distinguished Professor in the College of Education at Penn State. The Organization Development Network gave him the Lifetime Achievement Award. He earned the Global Lifetime Achievement Award by Penn State Global Programs (the university’s highest award for doing work internationally). He received the Distinguished Researcher Award from the College of Education in 2016 and was given the Graduate Faculty Teaching Award in the 2004-2005 academic year. (The Graduate Faculty Teaching Award is a single award given to one faculty member on Penn State’s 24 campuses each year.). In 2011 he was given the Association for Talent Development’s Distinguished Contribution to Workplace Learning and Performance Award; in 2014, he was named a Certified Professional in Learning and Performance Fellow by the Association for Talent Development; in 2016, he received the Best Global Training, and Development Leadership Award from the World HRD Congress in India, and in 2014 he was named a Brand laureate in Malaysia. Dr. Rothwell received the Walter Zeller medal (service award) from Kiwanis International and UNICEF.
Publications and Presentations:
Dr. Rothwell has been a prolific author, coauthor, editor, and coeditor. Since 1987 he has published 130 books, six training packages, two training packages written under contract, 20 guides and technical reports, six published instruments and instrument administration guides, 185 book chapters, 74 scholarly and research articles, and edited 24 books in various book series. Some of his books have been translated into Korean, Chinese, Polish, Japanese, Spanish, Arabic, and Russian. His recent books since 2020 include Succession Planning for Small Business and Family Business, Rethinking Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, High-Performance Coaching for Managers, Organization Development (OD) Interventions: Executing Effective Organizational Change, Virtual Coaching to Improve Group Relationships: Process Consultation Reimagined, Adult Learning Basics 2nd ed., Increasing Learning and Development’s Impact Through Accreditation, The Essential HR Guide for Small Businesses and Startups, and Workforce Development: Guidelines for Community College Professionals, 2nd ed.
He has delivered 1,526 onsite and online professional presentations in 15 nations over a 30-year period.
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Farhan Sadique is a recognized student leader and a Ph.D. student in Workforce Education & Development program at Penn State University. He previously received a Master of Science degree from Pittsburg State University. Farhan is a globally experienced, value-driven professional with years of experience in management with a successful track record. He is passionate about studying innovative organization development and change management approaches. Even though his research interest primarily focuses on the sustainability and development of retail organizations, he has successfully contributed to related research outcomes, including an open-source model for OD application, OD career assessment tools, evaluation capacity development, employee career hopefulness, and job satisfaction. He can be contacted at [email protected]
Current role:
Graduate Research Assistant, The Pennsylvania State University
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Organization Development.
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Career Enhancement.
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Consciousness.
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Organization Development Practitioner specializing in Team Development and Team Effectiveness
Current role:
OD Practitioner, Ball Aerospace.
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Team Effectiveness.
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Team Development.
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Organizational Effectiveness.
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OD Consultant
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Workforce Development.
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Graduate Student. MPS Organization Development and Change
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I am a lieutenant with a Federal Police Agency in Washington, DC. I hold a degree in Sociology with a concentration in Criminal Justice and a Minor in Psychology from Saint Francis University (PA). I am currently enrolled in the Masters Program for Organization Development. I hope to utilize these skills and knowledge on my journey to Police Executive, and have already used theories learned to build change programs within my Department.
Current Role:
Lieutenant, Federal Police Agency
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
- Policing - specifically in leadership development at the first-line supervisor level.
- Policing - Leadership / Management Skill Building.
- Successfully integrating remote workforces.
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I recently graduated with my master's in Organization Development and Change. I currently work as a Learning and Development Program Manager for a large IT Company. I hope to continue my connection with Penn State and, in the future, possibly come back for my doctorate. You can find me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-s-smith/
Current Role:
Learning and Development Program Manager, IT Industry
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Coaching/Career Advising.
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Leadership Development.
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Adult Learning.
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I’m a recent graduate from the Pennsylvania State University with a B.S in Finance along with a certification in Operational Excellence for Professionals.
Current Role:
Business Analyst
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Finance.
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Scrum Master.
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Lean Six Sigma.
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Graduate Student, Organization Development and Change
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I have 25 years of experience in an academic library. I currently manage the team responsible for providing front-line services to patrons in the Pattee Library and Paterno Library and ensuring the building is opened and closed. I enjoy coaching and leading my team to realize their potential.
Current Role:
Manager PSU Libraries Common Services
Area of Expertise / Research Interests:
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Coaching through change.
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Leading teams through change.
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Lisa lives in the southwest suburbs of Chicago with her husband, two children, and Bernadoodle, Lucy. She is employed as the marketing project manager at Barnabas Foundation (Crete, IL), board secretary for an urban inner-city homeless ministry, and active volunteer at her church and kids' schools. An experienced writer, fundraiser, and project manager, Lisa has a passion for nonprofits and family-owned businesses.
Current Role:
Marketing Project Manager at Barnabas Foundation, Crete, IL
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Organization Culture.
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Employee Onboarding, Recognition, and Appreciation.
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Events/Conferences.
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Policy Analysis.
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Professor of Education (WFED); Associate Director of PPDC.
Biography:
Dr. Mark D. Threeton is a professor of education and coordinator of Career and Technical Teacher Education within the Workforce Education and Development (WF ED) program at the Penn State College of Education. He consults, teaches, and conducts research in the areas of technical teacher education, training and development, workplace learning and performance, and experiential learning and teaching. His research has been published widely in scholarly research journals and books. He has extensive credentials across education and training. He holds a B.S. in technical education from Pittsburg State University, an M.S. in higher education personnel administration from Kansas State University, and a Ph.D. from Penn State in workforce education and development. Prior to joining the College of Education faculty, he was a technical educator with an emphasis on automotive technology and career development.
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Yashwant Prakash Vyas is a proud second-generation educator. He is a global higher education, nonprofit, and organization development practitioner who centers on access, equity, and inclusion in his work. Inspired by his own journey, he strives to empower individuals to attain better life outcomes by supporting their educational attainment. He has a portfolio of working at three research one, public, flagship universities in the United States [University of Mississippi, University of Iowa, Texas A&M University].
Yashwant is the inaugural Diversity Education and Strategic Initiatives Director in the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement at the University of Mississippi. At the University of Iowa, he was the Assistant Director for Diversity Resources in the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and an adjunct instructor in the University College.
Yashwant has presented educational sessions at national and international conferences. He continues to be invited by universities and colleges to facilitate diversity and leadership education-focused learning and development opportunities for faculty, staff, and students.
Yashwant has a Master of Public Administration degree with a specialization in Higher Education Policy and Administration. He has graduate certificates in Public Management and Nonprofit Management. He has a Bachelor of Science degree with minors in Mathematics and Leadership Studies. His academic honors include memberships in numerous scholarly associations such as the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society.
In his spare time, Yashwant pursues his hobby of drawing and painting. Yashwant’s pronouns are he, him, his.
Current role:
Higher Education, Nonprofit, and Organization Development Practitioner.
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Training and Development.
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Human Resource Management.
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Administration.
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Policy Analysis.
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Greg G. Wang, Ph.D., is a professor of HRD in the Department of HRD, Soules College of Business at The University of Texas at Tyler. His research interests include HRD theory development, innovation, corporate social responsibility, ethics, and HRD research and practices assessment. Greg was first trained as an economist at Penn State. After receiving his Ph.D. from WFED in 1997, he worked in multinational companies, including GE and Motorola (China), and experienced an open organizational HRD context nested in a closed national context along with the associated HRD practices. Dr. Wang returned to academia in the early 2000s and worked at James Madison University and Old Dominion University before joining UT Tyler. He was a former board member of the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD) Board of Directors and served in multiple editorial positions for Human Resource Development Quarterly, Human Resource Development International, and editor of the Journal of Chinese Human Resource Management (JCHRM). His research has been published widely in international journals, such as Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Human Resource Development Quarterly, Human Resource Development Review, Journal of Business and Psychology, Personnel Review, and R&D Management, to name a few.
Current Role:
Professor in HRD, The University of Texas at Tyler
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HRD Theory Building Research.
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HRD Ethics.
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Assessment of HRD Research and Practices.
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Graduate Student. MPS Organization Development and Change
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Having worked in non-profit management for 20 years, I have focused on leveraging limited resources for maximum impact and social change. Helping organizations leverage their strengths, build their capacity, and develop and implement meaningful organizational goals and action plans in the face of constant change led me to pursue my Master's in Organization Development and Change through Penn State University. By expanding my capacities, I can better help others grow theirs.
Current Role:
Organization Development and Change Consultant
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Leveraging organizational strengths to drive change and meet challenges.
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Creating and sustaining healthy work cultures.
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Successfully integrating remote workforces.
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Professional with over twenty years of experience in Learning & Development and Talent Development.
Current Role:
Senior Manager, Learning & Development. Bimbo Bakeries USA.
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Learning & Development.
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Talent Development.
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Leadership Development.
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Graduate Student. MPS Organization Development and Change
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Natalya founded Capital Accounting Advisory LLC after over a decade of building her career in public accounting and private industry. Initially, she established her firm to help companies with technical accounting questions and financial reporting. Recently, she expanded her business offerings to organization development and change management for audit firms.
Current Role:
Founder and CEO, Capital Accounting Advisory, LLC
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Transformational change.
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Strategic visioning & planning.
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Team performance improvement.
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Associate Professor of Education (WFED)
Biography:
Hyung Joon Yoon, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Workforce Education and Development in the Department (WFED) in the Department of Learning and Performance Systems at the Pennsylvania State University. He is also the Professor-in-Charge of the WFED program. Before joining Penn State, he was an Assistant Professor of Human Resource Development (HRD) and Program Coordinator of the HRD Program at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco, and an Assistant Professor of Human and Organizational Learning at George Washington University.
Dr. Yoon has experience in leadership development, career development, organization development, needs assessment, and evaluation of HRD/OD interventions. He worked for organizations such as LG Display, Korea Leadership Center, the Korean Army, Penn State Management Development Programs and Services, and Penn State Career Services. While he held these positions, he served as an HRD practitioner, a career coach, and/or an OD consultant. He also facilitated Franklin Covey’s time management program, named “Focus,” in South Korea, China, Japan, and the U.S., achieving the Individual Greatness Award from Franklin Covey for the program’s measurable effectiveness.
Dr. Yoon’s scholarly work is focused on empowering individuals and organizations with human agency and hope. He developed the Human Agency-Based Individual Transformation (HABIT) model (Yoon, 2019) and an associated assessment tool, the Assessment of Human Agency (AHA; Yoon, 2011). He co-developed Hope-Action Theory and the Hope-Action Inventory (HAI). They are used in different countries as a framework and a tool to help individuals live fulfilling lives. The HAI has been translated into German, Korean, Hebrew, Greek, Turkish, Brazilian Portuguese, and Italian.
Dr. Yoon was awarded an NCDA Fellow status for contributing to the career development field through research, leadership, teaching, service, and policy development efforts at the National Career Development Association (NCDA). He is currently serving as an Associate Editor of Human Resource Development Review, a leading theory-building journal in the field of HRD (2021 Impact Factor: 6.273).
Dr. Yoon earned his Ph.D. in Workforce Education and Development from the Pennsylvania State University. He is certified as a Lifelong Educator (2nd Grade in South Korea), Certified Career Services Provider (CCSP), Career Development Facilitator Instructor, Career Development Facilitator Master Trainer, and Six Sigma Green Belt. He held the Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF). He was a board member (Trust-at-Large) for the NCDA (2013-2016; 2016-2019).
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