The newest DBA graduates come from Michigan, Canada

Recent graduates to earn their doctorates from Northwood University’s DeVos Graduate School of Management include a resident of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and a native of the Bahamas residing in Canada.

“I recommend this program to anyone who wants to be a leader in their industry,” said Valarie Taffs-Cook, who was born in Mount Pleasant, about 27 miles west of Northwood University’s campus in Midland, Michigan. She has lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan, since 2004.

“This program also allows you to become an expert in the field you are passionate about,” Taffs-Cook continued.

Taffs-Cook’s dissertation was entitled Examining the impact of life-changing events on the National Football League quarterback in relation to the quarterback’s performance on the field – a quantitative study.

In her dissertation, she examined whether life-changing events are related to the performance of starting quarterbacks in the National Football League, as measured by their quarterback rating.

Taffs-Cook successfully defended her dissertation on May 8; her presentation can be viewed here.

Dr. Lorne (Todd) Thomas, associate dean of students and professor at the DeVos Graduate School of Management at Northwood University, was her dissertation chair.

“Valarie knew from the first major assignment in her first DBA course that she wanted to do NFL quarterback research on the impact of personal crises,” Thomas explained. “The problem was that the question she had formulated at the time had neither the specificity nor the scope one would want for a dissertation.”

Rather than taking the easy route and moving on to a more general topic, Taffs-Cook impressed faculty by developing the subject she was passionate about into one that was ultimately complex, scientific and pragmatic.

“She was a great example of staying true to her passion while being very open to the feedback and concerns she received along the way,” said Thomas. “She never blamed anyone for resisting her topic, but took the feedback constructively and as a personal challenge to make it work. Therefore, she is The Expert in the field of the impact of life events on athletic performance and the measurement techniques and approaches used to assess similar types of questions.”

Taffs-Cook was part of the first DBA class at Northwood University’s Richard DeVos Graduate School of Management, which announced the launch of a DBA program in April 2020. Taffs-Cook’s class of 15 students began their doctoral studies in August of that year.

“I had been looking for a doctoral program since I completed my MBA at Northwood in 2017,” she said. “I had asked during my MBA if they would add a DBA, but at the time the estimate was five years. Due to some exciting other developments, I did not do anything to pursue a graduate program during those three years. Then when DeVos announced a DBA program in 2020, Northwood reached out to me and I was excited to apply.”

Taffs-Cook said she has developed and grown in many ways since starting the DBA program.

“I think I have become a person who thinks more deeply and evaluates situations differently,” she explained. “The way I analyze problems, situations and issues is more profound. I am also more confident in myself and believe that I can do anything.”

She said Northwood’s DBA program gave her the tools to be a more supportive leader and professor.

“It has also given me the confidence to believe that I can achieve anything I set my mind to,” added Taffs-Cook.

Even after graduating, Dr. Taffs-Cook has no plans to rest on her laurels.

“Now that I have completed my DBA, my goals are to become a full-time professor at a college or university, continue my research, advise companies that believe they need to evolve, and advise the NFL,” she said.

Dr. Taffs-Cook was one of two DBA graduates who received the hood during a graduation ceremony on May 11 at Northwood University. The other graduate was Dr. Shemika Miller, a native of Nassau, Bahamas, who currently lives in Toronto, Canada.

Dr. Miller enrolled in the DeVos DBA program in January 2021.

“I am a life-long learner and wanted to further my education through a doctoral-level course that would allow me to continue working full-time in the profession I love alongside the program,” she explained. “After completing my master’s and bachelor’s degrees at Northwood University and feeling welcomed as an international student by Northwood’s diverse and inclusive student body, I was curious to see what DeVos had to offer in terms of a reimagined degree.”

“When I realized that their program could be completed online in just three years and that, like all Northwood courses, it was based on solid core philosophies such as the importance of free market economics and individual freedom, the decision to return to Northwood was a no-brainer,” Miller added.

As a successful academic, Miller entered the DBA program with a competitive mindset. She wanted to outperform her peers and finish the program first. However, as she began the program, she realized that she was not used to reading academic literature and realized that, contrary to what she had believed, she needed to further hone her multitasking skills.

“During the program, I learned to focus on more meaningful goals, such as networking with scientists around the world, expanding the existing body of knowledge in a field I’m passionate about, and identifying my unique value as a researcher, rather than focusing on how my academic performance compares to others,” Miller said. “My ability to multitask has improved exponentially, and I now feel more confident in handling everything life throws at me simultaneously and still achieving my goals. And although I didn’t read many academic articles before the program and had trouble getting the hang of it, I volunteered to participate in a meta-analysis that reviewed over 400 articles and other academic literature!”

Although she considered herself “top notch” when she entered the program, Miller found that she soon realized she had tremendous potential to do and be more.

“I was challenged, pushed to my personal limits that I wasn’t sure I could overcome… but I did it and from that I learned that while I can always improve, I can achieve anything if I set my mind to it,” she said.

Miller recommends that others enroll in the DeVos DBA program because it is specifically designed for people like her who need to work full-time but also want to pursue a doctorate.

“The virtual format and annual in-person visit also allow people like me who don’t live in the U.S. to complete the program from anywhere in the world,” she added. “The program’s scholar/practitioner model equips practitioners with a solid education in theory and research skills to enable them to solve complex problems in their areas of expertise. Finally, the transformative nature of the program – similar to all Northwood programs – is the one thing that will have a positive impact on every area of ​​life, including effectiveness at work, entrepreneurial skills, critical thinking, and business/personal relationships, for good.”

Miller’s dissertation was entitled A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of the quality of leader-member exchange on employee turnover intentions.

“Voluntary employee turnover presents significant financial and operational challenges to organizations,” Miller explained. “Although previous research suggests a link between the quality of manager-employee exchanges and employee turnover intentions, results are mixed. I conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the impact of the quality of manager-employee exchanges on employee turnover intentions, providing clarity for organizational leaders seeking to reduce turnover.”

Miller successfully defended her dissertation on April 24; her presentation can be viewed here.

Miller hopes to leverage her DBA in the future by continually contributing to the body of knowledge in her areas of interest.

“I plan to publish academic literature in traditional and non-traditional formats that not only assists scholars and fills existing gaps in the literature, but is also accessible and easily understood by practitioners who need to apply the knowledge in the field,” she explained. “Through my teaching, I also hope to serve and empower the next generation of researchers and educational leaders by sharing my unique insights in a thorough and thoughtful way that I have found valuable throughout my career. Finally, I plan to pursue my entrepreneurial interests, which include involvement in business ventures that positively impact society and demonstrate the effectiveness of the business principles I learned at Northwood University.”

“Therefore, I am very excited to become an entrepreneur/researcher/teacher who solves complex problems, demonstrates entrepreneurial excellence, and teaches and empowers the next generation,” concluded Miller.

Dr. Itauma Itauma, assistant professor at the DeVos Graduate School of Management and Miller’s dissertation director, emphasized that Dr. Miller’s tireless commitment and proactive approach ensured a productive and intellectually stimulating dissertation process.

“She was not afraid to break new ground and readily applied a novel meta-analysis methodology, which exemplifies her courage and intellectual curiosity,” Itauma added. “Dr. Miller’s initiative to fill her knowledge gaps and her openness to new perspectives mark her as a remarkable doctoral student.”

Dr. Miller’s career is a testament to the power of a curious mindset and the impact of proactive initiatives, Itauma continued.

“Her success shows that embracing the unknown and seeking new learning opportunities can lead to exceptional achievement,” he added. “Future DBA students should follow Dr. Miller’s example: embrace challenges, take initiative, and remain open to new ideas. Her proactive and forward-thinking approach is a model of success.”

Dr. Lisa Fairbairn, associate vice president and dean of the DeVos Graduate School of Management at Northwood University, was equally pleased with the work of Miller and Taffs-Cook.

“We are proud to count Dr. Miller and Dr. Taffs-Cook among our doctoral alumni,” added Fairbairn.