Ph.D. in Leadership Studies
Ph.D. Candidate (Class of 2026)
My doctoral journey in Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University has been both an intellectual pursuit and a deeply personal commitment to transformational change. Grounded in the Jesuit tradition of cura personalis—care for the whole person—this program challenged me to explore the intersections of justice, systems, voice, and leadership with clarity and compassion.
My research focuses on the power of underrepresented voices—particularly in healthcare and community-based leadership—and how authentic engagement can drive meaningful systems transformation. From exploring servant-leadership and critical theory to designing participatory research and equity-driven interventions, I have sought to bridge the gap between theory and practice in every step of my work.
This page offers a window into that journey: the scholarship, applied projects, and evolving leadership philosophy that guide my work as a leader committed to building more inclusive, reflective, and human-centered systems of care.
DPLS-700: Leadership Theory – Explored interdisciplinary leadership frameworks with a focus on moral injury, trauma-informed care, and servant-leadership; developed a personal leadership model integrating critical theory, narrative ethics, and systems thinking to address structural dysfunction in healthcare. LINK
DPLS-701: Organizational Theory – Analyzed organizational boundaries, systems thinking, and process philosophy through the lens of Weick, Whitehead, and Chia; applied transdisciplinary theory to real-world crises (e.g., COVID-19 in education and healthcare), emphasizing knowledge management, narrative leadership, and systemic adaptation in complex environments. LINK
DPLS-703: Global Leadership – Examined global systems, intercultural development, and ethical leadership through the lens of privilege, identity, and systemic inequity; applied the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), indigenous narrative analysis, and global case studies to foster cultural humility, critical global thinking, and justice-oriented leadership. LINK
DPLS-715: Leadership Ruminations – Cultivated authentic leadership through storytelling, reflective practice, and trauma-informed pedagogy; applied contemplative tools such as journaling, empathy walks, and container-building to develop values-aligned leadership strategies and facilitate transformative learning environments. LINK
DPLS-720: Principles of Research – Designed a qualitative research proposal on maternal health leadership; demonstrated advanced competency in literature review, methodological alignment, and ethical research design with emphasis on decolonizing inquiry, interdisciplinary analysis, and NICU parent advocacy. LINK
DPLS-722: Quantitative Data Analysis – Applied inferential statistics (t-tests, ANOVA, regression) to leadership research; strengthened statistical literacy using Excel, integrated mixed-methods analysis, and examined ethical implications of global data interpretation in leadership contexts. LINK
DPLS-723: Qualitative Research – Conducted and analyzed semi-structured interviews using grounded theory and abductive reasoning; developed coding strategies, conceptual frameworks, and narrative synthesis to explore collaborative leadership in healthcare through a reflexive, ecosystem-based lens. LINK
DPLS-727: Complexity & Leadership Studies – Applied complexity theory to healthcare leadership, developing a systems-based framework for credentialing patient partners; explored adaptive leadership, ethical participation, and ontological identity formation to support transformation in trauma-informed and family-centered care environments. LINK
DPLS-743: Leadership and Consulting – Gained proficiency in the full consulting cycle—from contracting to implementation—while developing a values-based consulting stance focused on trust-building, ethical engagement, and systems transformation in nonprofit and mission-driven contexts. LINK
DPLS-745: Ethics and Leadership Studies – Applied classical and feminist ethical frameworks to contemporary moral issues; explored metaphysics, narrative ethics, and moral imagination through scholarly writing and a public lecture on Tolkien’s On Fairy-Stories to deepen ethical leadership praxis. LINK
DPLS-776: Communication Teaching & Pedagogy – Developed a comprehensive teaching portfolio with lesson plans, classroom observations, and a reflective teaching philosophy grounded in Ignatian values, communication ethics, and adult learning theory to support inclusive, student-centered instruction. LINK
DPLS-778: Listen, Discern, Decide – Applied servant-leadership theory to explore listening as a moral, political, and organizational act; developed reflective narratives on NICU trauma and civic discourse to examine ethical leadership, narrative ethics, and trauma-informed, relationship-centered care. LINK
DPLS-773: Models of Community-Based Participatory Research – Conducted narrative inquiry and asset mapping in Lincoln, Arkansas using CBPR principles; integrated community voice, cultural humility, and reflexive leadership to explore place-based identity, social justice, and ethical research collaboration. LINK