Work with thought leaders and academic experts in leadership management

Jim Samuel is an Associate Professor of Practice and Executive Director of the Informatics Program at the Bloustein School. He is an information and artificial intelligence (AI) scientist, with significant industry experience in finance, technology, entrepreneurship and data analytics. Dr. Samuel’s primary research covers human intelligence and artificial intelligences interaction and information philosophy.  Dr. Samuel’s applied research focuses on the optimal use of big data and smart data driven AI applications, textual analytics, natural language processing and artificially intelligent public opinion informatics. His expertise extends to socioeconomic implications of AI, applied machine learning, social media analytics, AI education and AI bias. Dr. Samuel completed his Ph.D. from the Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College – City University of New York, and he also has M.Arch and M.B.A (International Finance) degrees.  Dr. Samuel has worked with large multinational financial services corporations, and advises businesses and organizations on data analytics and AI driven value creation strategies. He is passionate about research driven thought leadership in AI, information philosophy, analytics and informatics. 

Tom is a global research leader in the areas of high-performance teamwork, virtual team and leader effectiveness, flexible remote and hybrid work, human-autonomy teaming, conflict and conflict management, personality, and assessment. His research funding exceeds $6M and he currently leads a lab team of 15, which includes doctoral, post-doctoral, and masters candidates, as well as undergraduate students and staff members. Tom has published over 70 peer-reviewed journal articles in outlets such as Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management, Academy of Management Learning and Education, Organizational Research Methods, Computers in Human Behavior, and Human Resource Management Review, and he has worked extensively to translate the science of high-performance teamwork and flexible remote work into practice through consultations, workshops, public lectures, training, software development, and other services.

Carissa van den Berk Clark, Ph.D., LMSW, is an associate professor of family and community medicine. Prior to joining the department, she received her Ph.D. in social welfare policy from the Luskin School of Public Affairs at UCLA where she also completed a pre-doctoral training at the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs. She was also a NIDA postdoctoral fellow at the Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry. Currently, she is a RWJ IRL fellow, as well as outreach and communications director for the SLU ARCHNet practice based research network and the deputy director of the SLU Area Health Education Center. Her research focuses heavily on substance abuse, mental health, care coordination and uses community participatory methodology.

Norman Farb, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto Mississauga, where he directs the Regulatory and Affective Dynamics laboratory (www.radlab.zone). He studies the psychology of well-being, focusing on mental habits, such as how we think about ourselves and interpret our emotions. He is particularly interested in why people differ in their resilience to stress, depression, and anxiety. Prof. Farb's work currently explores online training to support wellbeing, as well as neuroimaging to understand how emotional reactions predict mental health over the lifespan.

**Dr. Erin Eatough is the Chief Science Officer and Co-founder of the research and advisory firm Fractional Insights and is an award-winning psychologist, author, and advisor specializing in employee well-being, leadership development, and work-life integration. Her research on workplace thriving has been widely published, with over 30 peer-reviewed academic articles and book contributions to her name.** **Prior to Fractional Insights, Dr. Eatough spearheaded Labs Go-to-Market at BetterUp, where she transformed a wealth of academic and proprietary customer data into actionable insights, commercial assets, productized experiences, and thought leadership, building the foundation for the human transformation category. Her leadership extended beyond data. Her expertise led to the creation of data-driven strategies demonstrating the ROI of people-focused investment. Dr. Eatough authored five impactful industry reports targeted to CHRO and CXO audiences on crucial topics like resilience, inclusivity, connection, future-minded leadership, and coaching culture. Cumulatively, this research formed the cornerstone of BetterUp's go-to-market strategy, establishing them as a thought leader in the space and winning new business.** **Serving as a scientist on loan and consultant, Dr. Eatough's sought-after expertise supports executives across Fortune 500 companies, driving strategic growth and addressing complex human issues. She combines cutting-edge data-driven insights with practical guidance and experience to help companies reshape thinking, processes, and practices for lasting impact.** **Previously, Dr. Eatough served as a professor at the City University of New York, founding the Occupational Health Psychology Laboratory in the IO doctoral program.** **A frequent speaker on large-scale stages, Dr. Eatough evangelizes and demystifies the science of human potential and thriving, both inside and outside the workplace. Featured in Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, and more, her work as an author and scientist earns widespread recognition. She's a regular guest on podcasts and webinars, and was honored to share the stage with luminaries like Malcolm Gladwell, Tim Ferriss, and Liz Wiseman—where her original research on work-life spillover garnered an award from industry leader, Qualtrics.** **Dr. Eatough brings passion for the science and solutions of the work-life intersection. She is a mother, military spouse, and champion for women in leadership and is passionate about the challenges facing the modern working mother.**

Dr. Bala brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his role as an Associate Professor in Clinical Pharmacy at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, USM. He has a proven track record of success in his field, having held key leadership positions such as Director at the Malaysian National Poison Centre and Program Chairman (Clinical Pharmacy) at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, USM. He holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy from USM and a PhD from Brighton and Sussex Medical School, UK. Additionally, he has been appointed as Visiting Senior Lecturer at King's College London and as a Fellow of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Information at the National Poison Centre. <br> Bala's research focuses on the areas of clinical pharmacy practice and medication safety, as well as geriatric pharmacy. He has published more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles/abstracts and has been invited as a guest speaker at numerous international and domestic scientific events. He is an experienced internal and external examiner for over 40 PhD and Master thesis and has actively reviewed manuscripts for international academic journals. Bala's teaching activities encompass both undergraduate and postgraduate-level instruction, and he has supervised the research of numerous postgraduate students. He is committed to curriculum development and has implemented innovative and interactive teaching methods to improve student learning outcomes. He has successfully graduated 24 students, including 4 PhDs, 4 MSc, and 16 Master in Clinical Pharmacy. He is dedicated to producing sustainable pharmacy education and closing the knowledge transfer gap for students. If you're interested in Clinical Pharmacy, Geriatric pharmacy, Medication Safety, Research and Education, feel free to connect and exchange ideas.

As a program evaluator, technical assistance consultant, and researcher, I've spent the last 12 years partnering with K-12 districts, higher education institutions, nonprofits, and state agencies to build stakeholders’ capacity to implement equitable and sustainable change initiatives.