Kristin Cullen-Lester

Kristin Cullen-Lester is an Assistant Professor of Management and School of Business Fellow at the University of Mississippi's School of Business Administration. She holds a Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Auburn University and previously worked at the Center for Creative Leadership. Her research focuses on relational leadership, organizational networks, and strategic change, funded by grants from the National Science Foundation and other institutions. She teaches leadership and organizational behavior courses and co-founded Network Leader, a startup focused on workplace relationship analysis. Awards include the SIOP Early Career Award (2021) and the School of Business Junior Faculty Research Award.

Education: Ph.D. in Psychology (Industrial-Organizational), Auburn University (2011).
Research Interests: Leadership networks, complex collaboration, shared leadership, and organizational change.
Labs/Teams: Director of the ILEAD Lab (Improving Leadership Effectiveness by Assessment and Development), collaborating with institutions like the University of Houston and the Center for Creative Leadership.

Grants & Funding: NSF grants for strategic leadership network research, Bauer College of Business grants.
Editorial Roles: Editorial review boards member; guest editor for special issues.