About the Authors
Kari Allen-Hammer, Ph.D. serves as the Advocacy Director for LiveLifeResources, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in the United States. Additionally, she provides wellness and performance coaching in private practice, in West Sacramento, California and through tele-health services.
Emily Cashwell is the Director of Education and Research at the Institute for Research and Theory Methodologies (RTM), an organization that trains, mentors, and supports students, faculty, and researchers worldwide in qualitative, multi-method, mixed method, and grounded theory research. She received her doctoral degree in psychology with a specialization in Consciousness, Spirituality, and Integrative Health from Saybrook University in Pasadena, CA. She has also earned a master’s degree in Nutrition and Integrative Health from Maryland University of Integrative Health and a master’s degree in Special Education from George Mason University. Her research interests include authenticity, the trait of high sensitivity, and experiences of neurodiversity.
Gordon Medlock, PhD, is a scholar-practitioner with over 30 years of experience as a psychotherapist, coaching psychologist, and human capital management consultant. He is currently Director of Doctoral Research at the Wright Graduate University for the Realization of Human Potential. He has been published in the areas of existential and humanistic psychology and grounded theory and has been trained and mentored by Odis Simmons and Bob Wright in classic grounded theory methodology. He earned a PhD in philosophy from Yale University and a master’s degree in clinical social work from the University of Chicago, and he is an ICF-PCC level coach. He is co-chair of the research committee of the Graduate School Alliance for Education in Coaching, clarifying academic and practice standards for graduate level coach education. Email: gordon@wrightgrad.edu
Kianna McCoy graduated with her PhD from Fielding Graduate University in Infant and Early Childhood Development in 2018. In 2003, she graduated from the University of Utah with her Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy. While attending Fielding, she was mentored by Dr. Susan Stillman to conduct her first classic grounded theory study. Kianna is a licensed occupational therapist in California and has been working with children and families for over 20 years. She has worked as a clinician in a variety of settings, in administration and as an expert training leader for ICDL.
Alan Kim-Lok Oh, MCounsPsy, MBA, KB, PA is a consultant psychologist, and clinician at a private hospital. He has a practice that provides consultation, behavioral health screening and assessment, counseling and psychotherapy services to adults, elders, adolescents and children in the following formats – individual, group, family, couple or a combination of these formats based on patient and client needs. Alan is also a registered counsellor in Malaysia. He is completing his doctoral research in psychology at Universiti Malaysia Sabah. Together with his wife and daughter, Alan lives in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
Patrick A. Palmieri, DHSc, DPhil(Hon), EdS, MBA, MSN, PGDip(Oxon), ACNP, RN, CPHRM, CPHQ, FAAN, Dr. Patrick Palmieri is director of the South American Center for Qualitative Research at the Universidad Norbert Wiener and the founding director of the EBHC South America: A JBI Affiliated Group (https://www.jbisa.org/). He completed a postdoctoral program in caring science (Watson Caring Science Institute) mentored by Dr. Jean Watson and training in evidence-based health care (University of Oxford). He also earned a doctoral degree in health sciences (A.T. Still University) and graduate degrees in nursing (Vanderbilt University), education (University of Missouri), and business administration (Saint Leo University). With extensive experience as a research methodologist and professor of nursing, Dr. Palmier has mentored many doctoral dissertations and numerous research projects. He is an engaged scholar as an associate editor for four leading journals and editorial board member for six other indexed journals.
Susan Stillman holds an ED. D in Educational Leadership from Fielding Graduate University, a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Social Emotional Learning from VT College, and an M.Ed. from Antioch New England. She is currently on the faculty of Antioch University Online, working directly with students interested in social emotional learning. Formerly Director and now Emeritus Director of Education at Six Seconds, Dr. Stillman supports practitioners and researchers around the world who wish to study and practice emotional intelligence and social emotional learning. Prior professional roles include K-12 school counselor and licensed professional counselor. At Fielding Graduate University, Dr. Stillman was mentored by Dr. Odis Simmons, one of the pre-eminent ground theory theorists and teachers in the world. At Fielding and other universities, Dr. Stillman taught grounded theory, mentored grounded theory students, served on numerous dissertation committees.
Catherine J. Tompkins, PhD, MSW. George Mason University. Dr. Tompkins’ primary research focuses on kinship caregiving. She is interested in examining the complexities of the situations, relationships, and emotions of grandfamilies (grandchildren and grandparents living in grandparent-headed households where the biological parents are absent). Her overall research question is: Will children being raised by their grandparents step up to care for them if the need arises? Additionally, she is a research team member examining the effects of a Music and Memory intervention on people with dementia and is currently training cohorts of nursing home staff on COVID-19 related issues. She teaches social work and gerontology courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and her primary research methodology is classic grounded theory. Email: ctompkin@gmu.edu
Kara Vander Linden, Ed.D., Institute for Research and Theory Methodologies. Dr. Vander Linden is a scholar-practitioner, educator, mentor, and lifelong learner. As a scholar-practitioner, she engages in research and research-based best practices. As an educator and mentor, she uses research-based best practices to guide students in their learning. As a lifelong learner, she seeks out opportunities to learn and grow. She is the founder and president of the Institute for Research and Theory Methodologies and the Glaser Center for Grounded Theory. She also teaches research and supervises classic GT dissertations at Saybrook University. She is a peer reviewer for the Grounded Theory Review. She has a doctorate in education from Fielding Graduate University with specializations in classic GT and higher education. She has a master’s in special education from the University of North Carolina and a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics from Queens University. Email: MentoringResearchers@gmail.com
Bob Wright, EdD, MCC, studied classic grounded theory under Dr. Simmons and did his action dissertation using classic grounded theory principles applied to Grounded Leadership, an invaluable aid in the transformational leader’s toolbox. He also applied classic grounded theory to his model of emergence coaching. A visionary educator and internationally recognized best-selling author of five books, he is the co-founder of the accredited Wright Graduate University offering MBAs, MAs, and doctoral degrees. Wright’s Integrative Model of Human Development provides a much-needed practical application of theory into everyday life, helping people understand themselves, strategize, and take action to reach their potential. He earned his BA in Sociology, an MA in Communications, an MSW in Clinical Social Work, and an Ed.D. in Education, Leadership, and Change.
Judith Wright, EdD, co-founder and Chief Academic Officer of the Wright Graduate University for the Realization of Human Potential is a pioneer in the field of human development and the best-selling author of five books. She first rose to national prominence developing model demonstration programs for college students with disabilities and innovative programs for children with developmental disabilities. Wright earned a certificate of concentration in grounded theory under Odis Simmons and Tony Gregory. Her subsequent ten-year grounded theory research initiative explores the process of and components for living a great life. This research forms the basis for the theory of Evolating, informing curriculum impacting tens of thousands of people globally. Dr. Wright holds a BA in psychology, an MA in education and counseling, and an EdD in Educational Leadership and Change.
