Biography

Laura L. Beauvais is Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professor of Management in the College of Business Administration at the University of Rhode Island. She is also an adjunct faculty member of the Schmidt Labor Research Center and an affiliate of the Gender and Women’s Studies Program.  She joined URI in 1984 as an Assistant Professor and received her Ph.D. degree in Industrial/ Organizational Psychology from the University of Tennessee in 1987.  She has taught courses at the undergraduate, MBA, Executive MBA, and doctoral levels in general management; organizational behavior, design, and change; human resources management; leadership and motivation; and workplace gender issues.  Her research includes the study of the management of work/professional/ family roles among employees; union and organizational commitment; labor-management cooperation; self concept-based motivation; and organizational change.

From 1992-1995, she served as the College of Business Administration’s first Director of their Ph.D. Program, and from 1996-1999, she served as Director of the College’s Full-Time MBA Program.  Since 2009, in her role as Vice Provost, she has served as a liaison between URI faculty and the Office of the Provost, ensuring that the faculty perspective is being reflected in analyses and policies considered by the administration and working closely with the faculty senate.  Over the past three decades, she has done numerous presentations to local, regional, and national professional societies and organizations on labor-management cooperation, conflict resolution, women’s leadership, and managing work/life balance.