Rachel Clapp-Smith

Rachel Clapp-Smith is the Teddy Jacobi Dean of Purdue University Northwest’s College of Business and Academic Director of The Leadership Institute at PNW. She holds a Professor of Leadership appointment and specializes in leadership development across multiple life domains, global mindset, and cultural self-awareness. Her research emphasizes the 'whole leader' concept, integrating professional, personal, and multicultural experiences.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• MBA in International Business, Thunderbird School of Global Management
• B.A. in History and German, Bowdoin College

Research Interests: Clapp-Smith explores how diverse experiences shape leadership identity and efficacy. Her work bridges global leadership, cultural intelligence, and ethics, with a focus on how personal life domains (e.g., family, hobbies) influence professional leadership behavior. She advocates for holistic leadership education that addresses both workplace and non-workplace contexts.

Teaching & Engagement: She teaches organizational behavior and leadership at undergraduate and graduate levels, emphasizing practical skill development. She also facilitates leadership seminars for managers, staff, and high school students. Her pre-academic career included managing multicultural teams in the software industry in Germany and the Netherlands.

Awards: Finalist for the 2017 Academy of Management Review (AMR) Best Paper Award for Beyond (just) the workplace: A theory of leader development across multiple domains.

Labs/Teams: Directs The Leadership Institute at PNW, fostering leadership research and community engagement. Collaborates internationally on global leadership initiatives.