Evelina Atanassova

Evelina Atanassova is an Associate Professor of Business Administration, Human Resources, and Leadership whose work bridges organizational theory, people analytics, and innovative pedagogy. She has extensive experience designing and leading undergraduate, MBA, and doctoral courses in organizational behavior, human resource management, leadership, research methods, decision making, teams, and organizational development at UMass Global, California State University Fullerton, and previously Saybrook University and Brandman University.

She holds a Ph.D. in Organization Management and Human Resources from HEC Paris, where her dissertation examined social capital contingencies and strategies, as well as an M.A. in Organizational Leadership from Chapman University, an M.A. in Human Resources Management from New Bulgarian University, and a B.A. in Sociology from Sofia University. Her research interests include organization and management theories, social networks and social capital, leadership, and the intersection of higher education and industry, and she has presented her work internationally on topics such as generative AI in teamwork, student success, diversity, and social capital development. She is co‑author of the book Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit (Sage, 2023).

An award‑winning educator and former HR manager, Atanassova focuses her teaching and scholarship on building agile, inclusive learning environments that connect theory to practice and prepare students for leading change in complex organizations. She has been recognized with multiple institutional awards for teaching excellence, mentoring, and collegial service, and remains actively engaged in professional communities as a reviewer for leading journals and conferences. Fluent in several languages and experienced in international academic settings, she brings a global perspective to discussions of leadership, organizational change, and the future of work.