Hi everyone!

My name is Julia! I currently live in Tampa, Florida but was born in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. I am attending Penn State for my bachelors in Organizational Leadership and am excited to graduate next year!

Some of my favorite things include reading, kayaking, rock climbing, napping and eating. I also volunteer for an organization that rescues neglected and abused animals from Puerto Rico. I help out by fostering so there is always a dog (or two) with me.

I am also currently employed as an Account Manager for an organization that provides pre-employment background checks and drug screening. I have been with the company for six years now and have loved every single minute of it!

I am excited to meet you all and look forward to the rest of this semester!

Hello Everyone!

My name is Anna and I was born and raised in Philadelphia. I moved out to Tucson, AZ to escape the cold winters and that is where I fell on the path of a Human Resources career. I was given an amazing opportunity in as a Human Resources Representative and have been working in the same field for several years now. I am an undergraduate majoring in HR/Labor and Employment Relations studies with about 13 more credits to go! 😊 I want to continue to grow and learn to become a subject matter expert in various areas.

I currently live in Florida, and now working as a Senior HR Generalist for a non-profit organization that helps children to adults with special needs. Our organization provides preschool care, day programs and group residential homes, and an autism center. We also offer a variety of community-based programs and assist with employment support and living. Helping others and especially individuals with special needs has been really rewarding and humbling. Working in this environment means a lot to me as I personally have an older brother who is developmentally and physically challenged. I enjoy seeing our clients each day with huge smiles on their faces and wanting to just live, laugh and have fun like anyone else. I love volunteering to all our sponsored events, knowing what impact that every donation can make.

My husband I enjoy living in Florida with our Italian Greyhound. We enjoy being close to our PA family, and we enjoy kayaking, fishing, relaxing at all our beautiful beaches and traveling.

Hi Everyone my name is Keith Duzenski.  I’ve been in world campus for 6 years now and i’m 41 credits away from graduating with a BS in IST.

Professionally, I am the BI reporting Team Lead for the distribution business unit of a global fortune 150 company that focuses on trucking and power generation.  I have a globally diverse and dispersed team and this class is a perfect fit to improve my leadership skills.  I thoroughly look forward to learning new things as well as getting to work with new people.

Personally, I am a husband and father of 3 kids (Boy, Girl, Boy), 2 in middle school and 1 in elementary.  We live in Bucks County, PA with our Jack Russell and 2 Boston Terriers.  We’re an active family who is always on the go and doesn’t like to sit around.

I just bought a Peleton and it’s the best thing I’ve done for myself in a long time.  I absolutely love it.  If there are any other Peleton owners let me know we can start a group.

Keith

Dear Class (Global Leaders!),

I’m excited to welcome you to our course. I know that this will be a great time together. I’m checking in here in the introduction post to say hello and to encourage you all to do the same.

A little about me:

My wife (Dr. Ruby Gonzalez-Rios) and I are relocating to Barbados this Friday, August 27, for about one to 1 1/2 years. She will be starting medical school after serving as a scientist and researcher in cancer and infectious disease for over 20 years. I currently serve as a Senior Organization Development Consultant and Executive Coach at Harvard University and Founder of Peter Rios Consulting. My experiences span working with diverse organizations including businesses, religious institutions, government, higher education and non-profits in the areas of organizational diversity, equity and inclusion; leadership development and innovation.

I have been invited to speak and train leaders, nationally and internationally. In the United States Marines Corps I gained some global leadership experience while stationed in Okinawa Japan and South Korea. I have also taught as an adjunct professor in several institutions teaching undergraduate and graduate students in organizational leadership, religious and cultural studies, and business management. Additionally, I have had the privilege of serving as a vice president at two universities. Prior to academia, I was involved in pastoral ministry for over ten years.

My education includes a PhD in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Graduate Schools, a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership (DSL) from Regent University School of Business and Leadership, doctoral work from the University of Southern California-Rossier School of Education, and an MA from Northeastern Seminary.

Professionally, I consider myself a consultant, coach and professor. You can learn more about my current work at www.peterriosconsulting.com (feel free to download a free ebook). I love to watch basketball (go Lakers!), read many books on leadership and culture as it relates to diversity (equity and inclusion), business, theology and politics. Hence, my interests are broad and diverse. I will try my best to bring these experiences to this course through our dialogues.

Finally, do not hesitate to reach out to me for anything (seriously!). I am here to serve you. While I have broad experiences and education, I will be the first to admit that I do not know everything and look forward to learning from each of you! This course is wondeful because the topic is so broad and not one person can ever know all things global. Therefore, if we remain humble, respectful to each other and hungry to learn from one another, this should be a memorable experience for us.

The best way to reach me is by email at pzr5260@psu.edu. If you need to talk by phone, setting up an appointment by email will give you a confirmed conversation with me. I usually respond within 24 hours.

Well class, this is it for now. I look forward to our continuous interactions. 🙂

 

Kind regards,

Dr. Rios

Hello Class,

I hope everyone is well.

My name is Jennifer, and I live in Chambersburg, PA with my husband and three lively boys – I am outnumbered to say the least.  I first began working toward my undergraduate degree over ten years ago.  I did Graduate with an associates degree about 10 years ago, but I have always intended to continue my education. Ten years later I am four months out from achieving this goal.

In addition to school, and raising a family, I am a Customer Experience Manager at IMI. IMI is a small business (with under 50 employees) that provides safety solutions to the trucking industry. Looking back 7 years ago, I would have never told you the trucking industry is where I would find myself today. Today I am passionate about my role, and the organization I am a part of.

Outside of work, and school I do find free time to go camping with my family, read, cheer on our favorite sports teams (including our children’s).

I am looking forward to this semester and exploring leadership in the global context.

 

 

 

 

Hi all,

My name is Ed McAfoose and I live in Pittsburgh, PA. I plan to graduate this summer with a BS is IST: Integration and Application.  I currently work at a global university based in Pittsburgh with campuses in LA, DC, Qatar, and Australia (many other placed). Leadership is my support of option and this is my third leadership class. I work full-time as executive director for technology for one of our colleges. I have been leading this group for 15+ years.

I am excited to take this course since I am leading in a global context. The OLED 409: Leadership Development course taught me how to develop and become a better leader. I hope this course helps me to understand the global context of leadership and cultural understanding. I am looking forward to chatting with you this semester and learning more about your experiences in the global leadership context.

 

-ed

Hi all!

My name is Jordan Shaffer and I live in Coal Township, PA. I am in my senior year at Penn State and look to graduate by May 2021. I live with my wife Brandy, of 5 years. I am a step-father to 4 children and a father to one child. Our children range in age from 3 to 24. We also have a golden retriever named Hank. In our free time we like to enjoy motorcycling and the outdoors. I have a degree in Computer Networking and Systems Administration from Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology.

I look forward to a good semester and hope that the days go quick as I can’t wait to finish! Good luck everyone.