Bridging the Gap Between Research & Practice
The Center for Applied Leadership and Decision Science is a research-practice institute that converts insights from leadership, human performance science, and decision science into scalable, measurable organizational impact. We conduct and apply research that addresses today’s most urgent leadership and performance challenges—and we do it faster. By leveraging artificial intelligence to accelerate the research cycle, we dramatically reduce the time from discovery to implementation. Our AI-enhanced approach enables us to produce timely research, practical frameworks, and field-ready tools that help organizations close the 17-year research-to-practice gap and make evidence-informed decisions that drive organizational impact.
We translate rigorous decision science and leadership research into practical frameworks, pilotable interventions, and measurable programs that help organizations make better choices, build high-performing teams, and drive sustainable results. We publish concise research briefs, partner on field frameworks, and deliver tools that leaders can immediately use and measure.
By translating cutting-edge research in leadership, human performance, and decision science into practical tools and frameworks, we close the gap between insight and action and equip organizations to be faster, smarter, and more human-centered.
In one sentence? “We turn research into tools that help leaders make faster and smarter decisions that drive performance.”
Mission
Bridging evidence and action to strengthen leadership judgment, team performance , and organizational outcomes by conducting meta-analytical studies and original studies, designing actionable frameworks, and delivering tailored interventions that help organizations cultivate leaders and teams who drive measurable results.
Vision
By translating cutting-edge research in leadership, human performance, and decision science into practical tools and frameworks, we close the gap between insight and action and equip organizations to be faster, smarter, and more human-centered.
Who We Are
A Research Model Built for Rigor—and Relevance
The Center for Applied Leadership and Decision Science was designed to bridge two worlds that are too often separated: rigorous research and the realities of organizational life. Our structure reflects that purpose.
At the core of the Center is a small Executive Board of Principal Researchers who lead the Center’s research agenda, oversee original research initiatives, and translate evidence into practical frameworks, measurement tools, and interventions. This focused structure allows us to remain deeply engaged in the work, move quickly as new evidence and organizational challenges emerge, and maintain a high standard for methodological and practical quality.
Surrounding that core is an Advisory Board of experienced leaders and practitioners who bring diverse perspectives, specialized expertise, and firsthand knowledge of organizations and the people who lead them. Their perspectives help us challenge assumptions, strengthen our interpretation of findings, identify emerging questions, and ensure that our work remains relevant across industries, organizational contexts, and leadership environments.
Executive Board
Dr. Corey Pruitt
Executive Board Member & Principal Researcher, is a thought leader in leadership development, learning strategy, and human performance. With a distinguished career spanning nearly two decades, he brings a unique fusion of expertise in psychology, organizational leadership, and higher education. His approach inspires growth and sustainable transformation across individuals, teams, and enterprises.
Throughout his career, Dr. Pruitt has led impactful initiatives across diverse sectors—including higher education, technology, fintech, and health and wellness—earning a reputation for translating complex psychological principles into practical strategies that drive engagement and performance. His work is grounded in the belief that human potential is among the most powerful forces in any organization, and he is committed to helping leaders unlock that potential through transformational practices and emotionally intelligent leadership.
To date, Dr. Pruitt has delivered high-impact workshops, keynotes, and learning experiences to over 200,000 individuals, earning numerous accolades for his dynamic and engaging delivery. His insights have shaped leaders at every level and sparked meaningful culture shifts within organizations. Dr. Pruitt holds a B.A. in Human Communication, an M.A. in Psychology, and a Doctorate in Leadership. He also holds the following credentials: Certified in Advanced Motivational Interviewing & Behavior Change Certified Master Communicator Certified Performance Communicator Certified Neurolinguistic Practitioner Certified Prosci Change Management Practitioner.
Sabina Alihodzic
Executive Board Member & Principal Researcher, is an organizational development and leadership practitioner, researcher, and consultant with more than 11 years of experience working at the intersection of leadership, organizational performance, talent, and human behavior.
Her professional experience spans national and global organizations across technology, fintech, food and retail, and supply chain and distribution. She has led and advised on leadership development, performance management, talent management, organizational development, learning strategy, and organizational change, giving her a practitioner-level understanding of the systems through which leadership and people practices actually operate.
With a B.S. in Economics from Arizona State University, Sabina brings an interdisciplinary perspective that combines analytical thinking with a deep understanding of human behavior. Her systems-thinking approach allows her to examine how individual behavior, leadership practices, organizational systems, and culture interact—and to translate those insights into interventions that are both scientifically grounded and operationally useful.
Her work is particularly focused on bridging research and practice: identifying what the evidence says, translating complex findings into accessible frameworks and tools, and helping organizations implement and evaluate evidence-based approaches to improve leadership and organizational effectiveness. She brings this same perspective to her work with leaders and organizations, combining strategic clarity, rigorous inquiry, and an empathetic, human-centered approach to sustainable change.
Advisory Board
Arthur Washington
Arthur Washington, Advisory Board Member, is a strategic human resources leader with extensive experience aligning people strategies with business objectives across complex, multi-site organizations.
He brings deep expertise in employee relations, organizational development, compliance, and culture transformation, with a proven track record of strengthening workplace practices, reducing risk, and improving employee engagement and retention. He is passionate about developing others through coaching, mentorship, and leadership development initiatives. Arthur holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Management and a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Psychology, bringing both strategic insight and a people-centered approach to his work.
Cynthia Diehl
Cynthia Diehl, Advisory Board Member, is a leadership development and employee engagement professional with over 18 years of experience helping organizations build stronger cultures, develop leaders, and improve team performance.
As a Certified Gallup Coach and an ICF Certified Organizational Development Coach and Executive Coach, she enjoys partnering with leaders and teams to align talent strategies with organizational goals and create meaningful results. Cynthia is passionate about building people-centered workplaces where individuals feel valued, supported, and empowered to grow. Her work focuses on strengthening leadership, improving collaboration, and helping teams perform at their best.
Gabriel Barrientos Garcia
Gabriel Barrientos Garcia leads America's Global Design team at Uber CommOps, owning learning design standards for programs supporting approximately customer support agents worldwide and leading a globally distributed team of learning specialists.
His work focuses on creating structures and implementing innovations for curricula design that build judgment under pressure for frontline teams making high-stakes decisions in real time. He holds a Master's in Strategic Design and Innovation, is a Certified Practitioner, APPLY Synergies 5 Moments of Need and Certified Prosci Change Management Practitioner.
Dr. Robert Wengrzyn
Dr. Robert Wengrzyn, Advisory Board Member, brings over two decades of experience in the leadership development space, specializing in management and leadership. Throughout his career he has had the opportunity to deliver game changing programs, strategies and training to organizations in a variety of fields.
Specializing in: Leadership, Training and employee development, Leadership development, Curriculum and course development, Sustainable, non-geographically bound, training and education, Strategic Planning, Market Research, Team Development, Sales, and International Business. Dr. Wengrzyn holds a Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership, an MBA with a focus in Management, and a Bachelors of Science in Marketing.
Raven Murphy
Raven Murphy, Advisory Board Member, is a Learning and Development professional based in San Francisco with ten years of experience in the learning science space, with experience across education, non-profit, tech and retail worlds.
She's passionate about bringing research into scalable practice, implementing evidence-based practices into leadership development and onboarding for fast-moving, mission driven organizations
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