Katina Sawyer

Dr. Katina Sawyer is an Associate Professor of Management and Organisations at the University of Arizona, Eller College of Management. She is also the Co-Founder of Workr Beeing, a platform that provides science-based tools to support employee well-being and organisational health. 

Dr. Sawyer has more than 10 years of experience in teaching, research, and consulting. Her areas of expertise include diversity, equity and inclusion, positive workplace behaviours, leadership, and employee well-being. She has worked as an Assistant Professor at Villanova University and George Washington University before joining the University of Arizona in 2022.

She is the co-author of the book Leading for Wellness, which focuses on leadership practices that promote health and performance at work. She has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles and has been cited in outlets such as Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Fast Company. She has received research grants from the National Science Foundation and the Society for Human Resource Management.

Dr. Sawyer has been recognised with several honours, including the Scientist-Practitioner Presidential Recognition by the Society for Industrial and Organisational Psychology and a place in Philadelphia Business Journal’s “Top 40 Under 40.” She has also served on editorial boards for journals like Journal of Applied Psychology and the Journal of Business and Psychology.

She has worked in roles such as Chief Talent Scientist at MotiveX and provided consultancy through K. Sawyer Solutions. She has also volunteered with organisations focused on women’s rights, education, and career mentorship. Her work continues to focus on making workplaces more inclusive, healthier, and supportive for employees from all backgrounds.

She earned a dual PhD in Industrial/Organisational Psychology and Women’s Studies from Pennsylvania State University in 2012, and a BA in Psychology from Villanova University in 2006.

Katina B. Sawyer was born in the United States. She completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology at Villanova University in 2006. During her time there, she was involved in community service and student leadership activities.

In 2006, she began her doctoral studies at Pennsylvania State University, where she pursued a dual PhD in Industrial/Organisational Psychology and Women’s Studies. She served as a project lead for consulting assignments, worked on a Department of Defense grant, and taught courses such as Leadership and Introduction to Women’s Studies. She was also involved in the development of the PNC Leadership Assessment Centre. She completed her PhD in 2012.

In 2011, while still a PhD candidate, she started teaching as a Visiting Professor at Villanova University. In 2013, she became an Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Graduate Programme in Human Resource Development at Villanova. She taught master’s and undergraduate courses, supervised mentoring and internship programmes, and ran a research lab focusing on diversity, leadership, and work-family conflict.

Between 2014 and 2020, she operated K. Sawyer Solutions, a consultancy offering research-based organisational solutions. From 2016 to 2019, she was Chief Talent Scientist at MotiveX, where she focused on motivation assessments and workplace alignment strategies.

In 2018, she joined The George Washington University School of Business as Assistant Professor of Management. She taught courses and continued her research in leadership, diversity, and workplace well-being.

In 2017, she co-founded Workr Beeing, a platform using organisational science to help individuals and companies create healthy work environments. The platform shares resources and tools based on research in positive organisational practices.

In 2022, Dr. Sawyer joined the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management as an Associate Professor of Management and Organisations.

She has published over 50 peer-reviewed research papers. Her selected publications include:

• “Destructive Leadership” (2018), Journal of Business Ethics
• “Workplace Contextual Supports for LGBT Employees” (2018), Human Resource Management
• “The Importance of Being Me” (2016), Journal of Applied Psychology
• “Being Present and Thankful” (2022), Journal of Applied Psychology
• “Hope Cultures in Organisations” (2022), Administrative Science Quarterly
• “When Objectivity Is Out of Reach” (2021), Academy of Management Perspectives

She was also the Guest Editor for special issues in the Journal of Managerial Psychology and the Journal of Vocational Behavior.

She has received several research grants, including:

National Science Foundation’s Science of Organisations Grant (2017–2019)

Society for Human Resource Management Foundation Grant (2017)

In addition, Dr. Sawyer received multiple awards for her teaching and research, such as:

Scientist-Practitioner Presidential Distinction, SIOP (2019)

Mary Roth Walsh Teaching Award, APA (2016)

Powerful Voice Award, Women’s Way (2014)

“Top 40 Under 40” by Philadelphia Business Journal (2017)

In 2025, Dr. Sawyer co-authored the book Leading for Wellness, which focuses on creating workplace cultures that support employee well-being through evidence-based leadership practices. The book provides guidance for leaders, HR professionals, and employees seeking to build healthier work environments.

She is currently based in Tucson, Arizona, where she continues her work as an Associate Professor at the University of Arizona. She remains active in research, teaching, and consulting. She is also involved with Workr Beeing and contributes regularly to public and academic discussions on diversity, leadership, and workplace wellness.

Dr. Katina Sawyer’s vision is to create workplaces where all individuals feel valued, supported, and able to succeed. She focuses on using research to improve employee well-being, leadership, and inclusion. Through her work, she aims to help leaders build healthier team cultures that support fairness, mental health, and work-life balance. She believes that positive change in organisations starts with science-backed strategies and practical tools. Her goal is to make the workplace a space where everyone can thrive, no matter their background. She continues to share her knowledge through teaching, consulting, and co-leading the Workr Beeing platform.

Dr. Katina Sawyer has received several important awards for her research, teaching, and service. She was named to the “Top 40 Under 40” list by the Philadelphia Business Journal in 2017. The Society for Industrial and Organisational Psychology honoured her with the Scientist-Practitioner Presidential Distinction in 2019. She also received the Mary Roth Walsh Teaching Award from the American Psychological Association in 2016. Her early-career research was recognised by the APA and Villanova University. She has also won grants from the National Science Foundation and the Society for Human Resource Management to support her workplace inclusion studies.