甜瓜视频app

Bethany Duke

Spring 2024 Alumni

The Master of Science in Human Resources program at 甜瓜视频app has been instrumental in my personal and professional growth. Through the program, I embraced numerous opportunities that challenged and sharpened my skills. With the guidance of MSHR professors, I transitioned from completing assignments to presenting research at esteemed conferences such as the AHRD conference in Washington, D.C., and the EAM-I conference in Taipei, Taiwan. These experiences have broadened my horizons, providing unforgettable global exposure. Moreover, hands-on HR consulting experiences under Dr. Germain's mentorship have been invaluable, leading me to assume the role of Project Manager for the advanced consulting course. The program's focus on relational, strategic, operational, and ethical HR leadership has equipped me with a well-rounded skill set, directly benefiting my current role at Osada Construction. The unwavering support from professors like Dr. Germain, Dr. John, Dr. Minnis, and Dr. Lekchiri has been a cornerstone of my journey, fostering a deep passion for the field of Human Resources. I am hopeful that WCU will continue to expand its HR curriculum, potentially offering a doctoral program that I and many of my peers would eagerly pursue.

Lieutenant Margaret Gresham

Fall 2023 Alumni

In 2017, Lieutenant Junior Grade Margaret Gresham鈥攏ow a Civil Engineer in Cary, NC, and a Civil Engineering Corps Officer in the Navy Reserves鈥攚as presented with an opportunity to completely shift her career path. Though successful in engineering, she felt unfulfilled and sought a role where she could make a greater impact on the Navy鈥檚 most valuable asset: its people. When an Officer Recruiter position opened in Durham, NC, she took a leap of faith into an unfamiliar field.

Despite initial uncertainty, she committed herself fully to the transition and discovered a passion for Human Resources.

Over the next two years, LT Gresham became one of the top recruiters in the nation, earning Recruiter of the Year for the East Region in 2019, 2020, and 2021. As her success grew, so did her desire to continue serving the Navy within the HR community. To prepare for this next step, she pursued a Master鈥檚 degree in Human Resources and professional certifications.

She began the MSHR program at 甜瓜视频app in January 2020, where courses such as HR 605 and HR 614 solidified HR as her calling. While balancing work and graduate study, LT Gresham immersed herself in the program and has since assisted more than 100 Navy Officers in joining a wide range of communities, including aviation, intelligence, engineering, JAG, and chaplaincy.

Her academic work translated directly into real-world impact. In 2020, through her HR 670 coursework, she presented research on leadership in the U.S. Navy at the Association

 of Human Resource Development Conference, under the guidance of Dr. Germain. In 2021, as part of Dr. Lekchiri鈥檚 Performance Development course, she designed a performance management system for officer recruiters, now implemented across 13 districts in the Eastern United States and impacting over 250 recruiters. That same year, she earned both her SHRM-CP and PHR certifications.

In September 2021, LT Gresham applied for the highly competitive Human Resource Officer position in the U.S. Navy and was selected as one of only ten candidates nationwide. She will soon begin a department head tour in Washington, D.C., serving full time as an HR Officer and leading a department of more than 300 HR professionals. Her work will influence programs affecting over 450,000 military personnel and 280,000 civilians across the Navy.

LT Gresham credits the MSHR program at 甜瓜视频app with changing her life鈥攁nd empowering her to positively change the lives of thousands more through the HR profession.

William Stradler

Fall 2017 Alumni

William Stadler's career has spanned diverse disciplines, from technical design engineering to software sales and coaching. However, his true passion lies in Human Resources. This led him to pursue a Master's in HR from 甜瓜视频app (WCU) in 2016. Since then, he has successfully built and established HR departments in various industries, including manufacturing, marketing, and software.

William credits his ability to align strategic HR with business and client needs to the consulting coursework in WCU's MSHR program. This training equipped him with the skills to analyze complex challenges and deliver impactful solutions. A highlight of his career was fulfilling his dream job as an HR Business Partner at Red Hat, where he focused on strategic people and organizational development. Currently, William serves as a Global HR Leader at Google, attributing his success to the strong foundation he built through the MSHR program. The consultative approach and strategic HR thinking, which are the capstones of the program, are still essential to his job today.

He firmly believes that authenticity is key in Human Resources, a principle instilled in him through his consulting coursework. This value guides every interaction, every strategic initiative, and every decision he makes in his professional journey.

Caroline Skinner

2015 Alumni

As a graduating member of the MSHR community from the class of 2015, I am pleased to share my post-graduation story. Shortly after graduation, I joined Asheville, NC based Tupelo Honey Hospitality as the founding HR team member where I鈥檝e spent the past 7 years building at world-class people-centric organization. I am very pleased to share a few exciting announcements to culminate the last 7 years of hard work. This past January 2020 I was awarded the  as - Top 25 HR Professional. Award Winners were determined from over 4,500 votes, and selection based off of a peer recognition of performance, impact and contributions. Winners represent many of the most senior leaders from the world鈥檚 top organization. Perhaps even more exciting in February of 2020 my organization, Tupelo Honey, was awarded the  issued by the  as voted on by our team members. I am so appreciative of the solid foundation for HR Leadership and business acumen that my professors, peers, and community through the WCU MSHR program provided me and am looking forward with much anticipation and excitement for the future of our company, as well as the many companies who will benefit from the past and future graduates of the MSHR program at WCU. 

Alex Hall

2014 Alumni

Alex Hall is currently the AVP & Sr. Director for Learning and Talent Services at Liberty Mutual Insurance based in Boston, MA. In this role, Alex oversees the company's enterprise-wide early talent development programs, digital products, project management office, and learning delivery teams for Global Leadership, Learning, and Talent. Alex's experience has included compensation design, succession planning, competency model development, performance management, and talent planning. Alex has held roles in program management, strategic planning, and now operational leadership, Throughout his tenure at Liberty Mutual, Alex completed his Master's in HR and will complete his MBA and Master's in Finance with Northeastern University in August of 2022. Passionate about hiking, running, and spending time with friends, Alex and his partner, Adam, live in the South End of Boston and travel often. Alex continues to be engaged with our program providing counsel to HR consultants and continues to serve on our MSHR program advisory board. Alex was an active pro bono HR consultant for the MSHR Consulting Initiative, a service for which he received the WCU Peak Performer award in 2015.