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MPS in the
Psychology of Leadership

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  4.  – Barbara L. Watters Ph.D.
Barbara L. Watters Ph.D.

Barbara L. Watters Ph.D.

Professor of Practice & Program Director

Education:

Ph.D., University of Massachusetts at Amherst
M.S., Cornell University
B.A., Pennsylvania State University

Biography:

During the first 12 years of my professional career I was a full-time faculty member.  I taught many different courses including Introduction to Psychology, Social Psychology, Child Psychology, Adolescent Psychology, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Cross-Cultural Psychology, Statistics, and Research Methods.  My research areas were health-related decision making, political and cultural attitudes, and innovative approaches to teaching.

During the next 13 years of my career, I worked at a Fortune 500 insurance company at its headquarters.  I held various positions in instructional design, organizational effectiveness, and change management.  Working with stakeholders from all levels of the company, I taught teams how to analyze business issues with tools from Lean, Six Sigma, strategy mapping, innovation, and other problem-solving approaches.  How rewarding it was to help employees improve their customer service, eliminate wasteful steps, produce more value-added work, and advance their professional development.

It was a privilege to return to university teaching several years ago and to do it at my beloved alma mater.  My focus areas are to grow the MPS Psychology of Leadership program in a strategic way, and to help our students develop their knowledge and skills as “thinking leaders.”

Certifications:

Six Sigma Black Belt, American Society for Quality
Change Management Practitioner, Prosci Change Management Learning Center