The faculty of Antioch University’s PhD in Leadership and Change program exemplifies a rare blend of scholarly rigor, interdisciplinary reach, and social commitment. Their work spans psychology, sociology, education, leadership studies, organizational change, literature, the arts, and neuroscience—united by a shared purpose: advancing leadership that serves justice, equity, and transformation.
This commitment takes concrete form. Each year, faculty publish books, articles, poems, and essays that reach academic, policy, and public audiences. Their work not only advances theory but also informs real-world practice in ways that resonate far beyond the university.
Recent and forthcoming works reflect the breadth and impact of their scholarship. In the literary realm, Diane Richard-Allerdyce underscores that leadership and change are also rooted in imagination and culture. Her forthcoming scholarly chapter on “Fiction” in Anaïs Nin in Context (Cambridge University Press) explores literature’s ties to identity and voice, while her co-authored poetry collection The Universe Project (Finishing Line Press, 2025) bridges art and communal reflection. Recent poems—published in Feed the Holy and For a Better World 2025—offer lyrical witness to grief, resilience, and ecological connection.
In leadership and organizational studies, faculty are shaping the field through foundational texts. Amy Rutstein-Riley co-edited Leadership Enrichment and Development: Peer and Self-mentoring Women in Higher Education (Routledge, 2025), examining mentoring as a driver of equity in academia. Harriet Schwartz co-authored Essentials of Constructivist Critical Incident Technique (American Psychological Association, 2024) with Antioch University Professor Emeritus Elizabeth Holloway—the first book to articulate a constructivist approach to the method.
Others are breaking new ground at the intersection of science and society. Rengin Firat’s forthcoming book The Racialized Brain: The Neurosociology of Race and Racism (Polity Press) bridges neuroscience and sociology to examine how bias and identity shape experience. She also co-edited the Handbook of Neurosociology (Springer, 2025, 2nd ed.), contributing the chapter “The Problem with Conduct Problems: Sociological Factors and Equity Considerations for Neuroscience Research” (with J. Kalina Michalska). Her peer-reviewed article with Hye Won Kwon, “Cultural Nuances of Agency-Wellbeing Relationship” (Journal of Happiness Studies, 2025), adds further insight into the social dimensions of wellbeing.
In applied leadership, Antioch faculty are advancing global conversations. Mitch Kusy, with M. Valentine and G. Benoit, is publishing The Playbook for Leading Change: Proven Strategies for Success (CRC Press/Taylor & Francis), a toolkit for navigating complex change. Aqeel Tirmizi continues to shape responsible, values-based leadership with publications like “Globally Responsible Leadership: The Courageous Case of Angela Merkel” (Leadership, 2023) and “More Human, Not Less: Global Relevance of Values-based Leadership” (Humanistic Management Journal, 2023). His forthcoming books—Advancing Responsible Leadership (Ethical International Press) and Meta-Leadership Mastery (with Ken Williams)—further this agenda. His recent article with Tim Staub, “Navigating Emerging Climate Crises Through Adaptive Polycentric Meta-networks” (Humanistic Management Journal, 2025), explores leadership’s role in addressing climate change.
Together, these contributions illustrate a distinctive scholarly culture where poetry and policy, neuroscience and narrative, organizational practice and spiritual traditions intersect in pursuit of meaningful change. Faculty share their insights through leading journals, books, conferences, and public platforms, shaping how educators, practitioners, and changemakers approach leadership in real time.
Antioch’s Leadership and Change faculty show that leadership is a living, interdisciplinary practice rooted in science, story, art, and action, and dedicated to creating a more just and humane world.
