About Me

I am an Assistant Professor of Management at Northern Illinois University (NIU) in DeKalb, IL. I earned my Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management Ph.D. program at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). While pursuing my doctorate, I was a Chicago Metropolitan Exchange Scholar at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.  My research program broadly explores the mechanisms that contribute to positive experiences at work.

Prior to enrolling in the doctoral program at UIC, I held full-time faculty appointments at Bradley University in Peoria, IL and Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA.  In my primary role as an instructor, I designed and delivered nearly a dozen undergraduate leadership/management courses that addressed leadership at the individual, group, organizational, and international levels of analysis.    

I am a two-time graduate of Bradley University where I earned a BA in 2004 (double major in Political Science and International Studies) and an MBA in 2007.   At Bradley, I was an NCAA Division I student-athlete and was a four-year varsity letter winner and two-year team captain of the men's cross-country and track team. Simultaneously, I also held gradually increasing positions of responsibility within the Bradley University Division of Student Affairs and Office of Residential Living and Leadership.  While earning my MBA, I worked at Caterpillar University’s College of Leadership where I supported the deployment of leadership development programs for both first-time supervisors and high-potential employees.     

I am married to Rebecca (Becky) Michel, Ph.D, who is a tenured Associate Professor of Counseling at DePaul University in Chicago, IL and a Gallup Certified Executive Coach.  Together, we are raising two children, Raney (age 12) and Hartley (age 8), in Naperville, IL.  I am a dedicated long-distance runner (5K PR: 16:15; 8K PR: 26:40) and a U.S. Soccer Federation Grassroots Licensed youth soccer coach. When time allows, I enjoy traveling, cooking, coaching youth athletics, playing strategic board games, and all things concerning U.S. politics.