Thomas Ptashnik
Assistant Professor, Management
Ph.D, University of Iowa
What are your thoughts on teaching?
My purpose as an educator is to help students articulate what their dream job is and to give them the tools to obtain it so that they can experience sustainable, fulfilling careers. In my human resource management course, I aim to provide students with a basic understanding as well as an appreciation of the importance of human resources. Students engage with course content through a team-based competitive simulation and leave the course with tangible work-related materials they can use when applying for jobs.
Tell us about your field of expertise.
I conduct research on prosocial motivation, well-being, longitudinal modeling, and human resource management. My work has been published in leading outlets like Psychological Bulletin, featured in business magazines such as Fast Company, put into practice at the Veterans Health Administration, sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and presented at the annual meetings of the Academy of Management and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
What hobbies/interests do you enjoy outside of academia?
I love to travel internationally and have been to six continents. That said, I am excited to explore the New England area! On the weekends, you can find me playing tennis, at the movies, or hiking with my dog Bubba.
