Ilitch School welcomes Ryan Hemsley, adjunct professor of Management
I received my Bachelor’s in Psychology (Ballroom Dance minor) from Brigham Young University and my Doctorate in Business Administration from Michigan State University. I have worked as an operations manager at an international broadcasting company and as a personal finance consultant. More recently, I consult for global organizations, including the United States Agency for International Development, and serve as a Senior Research Fellow of the Army Research Institute and the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area.
What are your primary teaching interests?
I love teaching negotiations, leadership, and teamwork as they are skills that significantly impact students’ lives and careers. These topics also offer engaging, hands-on learning experiences and are inherently fascinating to me.
What are your primary research interests?
Research is the lifeblood of my career, particularly as it pertains to influence within teams. My work explores how negotiations evolve across time and organizational levels, how leaders manage paradoxes to optimize performance, and the dynamics of communication in multiteam systems. I also dabble in statistical advancements, including social network analysis in teams and organizations.
Tell me about your background in Technology?
Beginning with my film industry origins, I remain fascinated with the role of technological advancements in effective communication and collaboration. Beyond my professional experience, I utilize artificial intelligence to assist in developing high fidelity simulations for both teaching and research. For example, I am currently researching how effective processes differ between virtual and face-to-face multiteam systems.
Why did you come to the Ilitch School of Business?
Wayne State is classified as a “very high research activity” university and is committed to supporting first generation college students—something that I am passionate about as I was raised by a wonderful single mother who never had the opportunity to attend college. Beyond being a supportive and meaningful place of employment, I found the college faculty and staff to be incredibly thoughtful and an absolute delight! They have an ambitious vision that I am eager to contribute to.
What makes you passionate about business education?
I genuinely believe that learning principles of business management can elevate individual lives and communities, with their applicability extending to any industry and even within our own homes. That is just plain awesome.
What is one thing you wish all your students would do?
Fully engage with the material and your classmates! Education, too often, is the one investment people try to get the least amount for their money. Learn the evidence-based principles of management and how to apply them to real-world problems—then your education can become an invaluable gift that keeps on giving!
What are you excited about seeing in Detroit?
I am most excited about meeting the people, whether they are students, local business employees, or Detroiters who have long called this place “home.” Beyond that I have always been a sucker for architecture, and I am excited to frequent the Detroit Institute of Arts.
