Dylan Polkinghorne

Dylan R. Polkinghorne is an accomplished academic and professional in the field of Human Resource Management, currently serving as an Assistant Teaching Professor at the Austin E. Cofrin School of Business, University of Wisconsin – Green Bay, since 2022. She holds a B.B.A. in Human Resource Management (2018) and an M.S. in Management (2019) from the UWGB. Additionally, she is pursuing a Doctorate in Organization Development and Change (D.O.D.C.) at Bowling Green State University, with an expected graduation in August 2026. Her dissertation focuses on the role of basic psychological needs in forming psychological contracts. Her academic foundation is complemented by professional certifications, including SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) and Compensation Analyst Certification (CAC), both earned in 2022.

Polkinghorne has extensive teaching experience, delivering undergraduate courses such as Introduction to Human Resource Management, Compensation and Benefits Planning, Employee Relations, Recruitment and Selection, Employee Development and Training, and Organizational Behavior. Her innovative contributions to education include developing a micro-internship program that integrates academic learning with industry experience, aligning the Human Resource Management major with SHRM accreditation standards, and creating an Open Educational Resource textbook, Introduction to Human Resource Management (2024). Her teaching excellence was recognized with a Student Nominated Teaching Recognition Award in 2022.

Her research interests center on psychological contracts, organizational commitment, self-efficacy, optimism, workplace well-being, goal orientation, burnout mitigation, and workplace bias and equity. Polkinghorne has one publication in the Journal of Organizational Change Management. She has presented at prestigious conferences, including the Academy of Management and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. She serves as a faculty advisor for student research showcased at events like the UWGB Academic Excellence Symposium and Research in the Rotunda (2025). She has also secured Research Enhancement Program Presentation Grants in 2023 and 2024 to support her scholarly activities.

Beyond academia, Polkinghorne has made significant professional contributions, including leadership roles such as Faculty Advisor for the Student SHRM Organization and RISE Student Research. Her industry experience includes various Human Resource roles with local organizations. Her efforts in fostering workplace belonging and innovative teaching were recognized with the Joseph and Eleanor LaForce Innovation Value Award in 2025.