Haworth College of Business

Dr. Jennifer Palthe: decades of molding change leaders

Dr. Jennifer Palthe, fondly referred to as “Dr. J” by her students, has taught thousands of Western Michigan University undergraduate and graduate business students throughout more than two decades at the Haworth College of Business. One of her favorite courses to teach—and a favorite of students as well—is Managing Change, which she has taught since 2001. The perennially popular class often sees students on the waitlist as they seek to become change leaders in their industries. Now, Palthe will draw upon what she teaches about effectively planning for change as she embraces retirement and the new opportunities that this next chapter brings.

Before coming to Western, Palthe was a senior change management consultant for Anderson Consulting (now Accenture) and a project manager for Systems Programming Ltd. with consulting experience across multiple industries and three continents. After earning her master’s degree and Ph.D. from Michigan State University, she joined the faculty of WMU Haworth on Aug. 7, 2000.

From the start, Palthe demonstrated her gift for teaching by not only engaging students in the subject matter but also by engaging with them as learners and professionals. Ultimately, she was awarded the University’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 2007, rising through the ranks to become one of WMU’s most impactful faculty members in just seven short years.

Reflections from students and colleagues at the time of the award included:

“My predominate feeling during class was that she really understood how to touch a student's mind by carefully and repeatedly placing emphasis on what matters most. It is obvious to me that she remembers very well what it is like to be a student."

—– Haworth College of Business student

“Integrity, leadership, knowledgeable and passionate are a few characteristics that describe Dr. Palthe. She has the ability to positively influence and bring self-confidence to any student who walks into her classroom."

—– Haworth College of Business graduate

“Her evaluations by students are consistently near perfect or perfect and seldom does a student miss one of Palthe's classes. She is a remarkable role model with unequaled professional abilities to teach demanding courses while engendering student learning, mutual respect and admiration.”

—– Haworth College of Business colleague

Since 2007, Palthe has served on the committee that selects the recipients of the Distinguished Teaching Award and notes that it has been one of the most rewarding service opportunities she has participated in at WMU. “There’s something very special about honoring and rewarding teaching excellence, and WMU has some incredible teachers,” she says.

Palthe shares with her students that the one constant despite the change inherent in business and the world is that relationships are central in business—and in higher education. She models the emotionally intelligent behavior she encourages them to adopt in the workplace in her classroom.

Dr. Jennifer Palthe is points to an MBA student, smiling.

“I’ve appreciated teaching both graduate and undergraduate classes, to domestic and international students, over the past two decades. Some of my fondest memories are of developing mentorship relationships with my students. Whether it was helping them polish their resumes or counseling them about how to improve their performance in a job interview, I’ve loved spending time advising my students. They all have had different needs and expectations, but I like to believe they acquired change leadership skills that will advance their careers and help them succeed well into the future. I love hearing student stories of how the content of my classes played a pivotal role in their career opportunities or helping their organizations improve.”

Equally talented as a researcher, Palthe’s research has been cited more than 800 times on topics ranging from global executive success factors, to human rights in business education, to multiple intelligences in change leadership. Her expertise has made her a sought-after speaker for more than 50 local organizations throughout her career, including for multinational corporations, conferences and philanthropic organizations, among others.

Service has been central to Palthe’s academic career since day one, as well.

Her service to the college includes:

Member, Dean Search Committee
Chair, Undergraduate Programs Council
Chair, College Sustainability Advisory Committee
Member, Faculty Enhancement Committee
Member, Continuous Improvement Council
Chair, International Business Education Committee
Chair, Study Abroad Committee

She also undertook significant University service work as part of the University Strategic Planning Team and Faculty Senate Committee on University Strategic Planning, groups that were instrumental in developing and implementing WMU’s mission of being discovery driven, learner centered, and globally engaged.

In addition, she served as a WMU Sustainability Champion, connecting her research on human rights in business education to WMU’s work in this space. Her international presentations on social sustainability and human rights include:

Human Rights in Management Education: Equipping Educators and Future Business Leaders. Peer-reviewed presentation at Said Business School, Oxford University.
Managing Human Rights and Human Resources. Peer-reviewed Presentation at Oxford Round Table on Trade and Human Rights, Oxford University.

“Jennifer has had a tremendous impact at WMU and around the world through her research and teaching,” says Dean Satish Deshpande. “She has a talent for connecting with students that’s unparalleled. I have been continually impressed by her ability to put people at the center of all she does. I admire her emphasis on relationships, positivity about WMU Haworth and ability to balance both research and instruction masterfully. We will miss Dr. J deeply and appreciate the thousands of lives she impacted while at the Haworth College of Business.”