Heather Staples

Dr. Heather Staples serves as Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Director of Accreditation at The University of Texas at San Antonio’s Alvarez College of Business, where she is an Associate Professor of Practice in Management. She joined UTSA in 2019 after teaching at Texas A&M University-San Antonio. With over 17 years in Human Resources across retail, hospitality, manufacturing, sports, biotechnology, and healthcare sectors, her expertise bridges academia and industry. Her research focuses on inclusive leadership, diversity in the workplace, team effectiveness, and psychologically safe practices. She holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from the University of the Incarnate Word, an Education Specialist degree (Ed.S.) in Psychology from the University of Central Missouri, an MBA from St. Mary’s University, and a B.A. in Psychology from Chaminade University.

Dr. Staples’ scholarly work emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies, including systemic discrimination analysis, leadership frameworks for diverse workforces, and innovative pedagogical tools like lightboard technology in flipped classrooms. Her publications explore topics ranging from social media recruitment tactics to generational dynamics in organizational settings. She actively contributes to accreditation processes and curriculum development in undergraduate business education.

Her teaching portfolio includes courses on human resources management, conflict resolution, and team dynamics. While no formal awards are listed, her extensive industry experience and academic leadership roles reflect her impact in bridging HR practice and academic theory.

Dr. Staples has advised numerous students through her teaching roles but no specific advisees are listed. She collaborates with institutions like the San Antonio Zoo to model DEI practices, highlighting her commitment to real-world organizational applications of research.