Faculty

Abby Mello
Associate Professor, Director of the HRD M.S. Program

Abby Mello (Ph.D. University of Tennessee) has extended experience in both academic and business settings, particularly in the practice of Assessment Centers, providing assistance to firms in executive selection, placement, and leadership development. She worked for 6 years with the University of Tennessee – Center for Executive Education on leadership skills assessment and development in professional MBA students and also served as trainer for new executive coaches. Her research bridges the individual and team levels of analysis and concerns the effects of cognitive diversity on team outcomes and performance, particularly in teams who rely on virtual forms of communication. Additional research interests include organizational culture, graduate education, and perspective taking. Dr. Mello teaches our courses in: Organizational Behavior; Leadership Theory and Practice.

Faizan Imtiaz
Assistant Professor                                                                                           

Dr. Imtiaz's research interests include generational differences across seniors and young adults in the workplace, group dynamics in multicultural teams, acculturation and the work experiences of immigrants, and examining resilience and performance in high pressure environments such as business and elite sport.

Sang Won Byun   
Clinical Associate Professor

Dr. Byun has 15 years of experience working as an HRD manager at several global companies, including SAMSUNG. He participated in the Samsung Aptitude Test (SSAT) development project to set up a new employee selection process and designed many training programs, including newcomer onboarding programs. As a consulting team leader at SHR, he managed diverse HR consulting projects, such as the establishment of talent development systems and led many research projects, including developing an occupational personality test.

Adjunct Faculty 

Shawn S. Talley, MS, PHR

Shawn Talley (MS, Human Resource Development, Towson University) has almost 20 years experience in the human resources field, having worked in the retail, financial and healthcare industries. Currently, as Vice President of Human Resources & Organizational Development with NovaSom, Inc., he is a strategic partner with full responsibility for workforce planning and talent management, benefits, employee relations, compensation and training. Shawn is also Managing Partner of Performance Strategies, LLC which provides consulting, leadership and career coaching services. Shawn is a frequent contributor to WHUR’s Daily Drum news program providing expertise to HR and job-related topics.  Shawn is also active in community involvement projects and has earned both the PHR certification from SHRM and is a Six Sigma Yellow Belt in quality management. Shawn teaches our Introduction to Human Resource course.


Sean Ballard

Sean Ballard (MSHRD, Human Resources Development, Towson University) brings over 30 years of experience working in a variety of Human Resources capacities in both the non-profit and private organizations. Ms. Ballard has extensive expertise in general HR operations, labor relations, change management, strategy and planning. Currently, she is the Executive Director of HRIS for the 22,000 employee Bon Secours Health System, Inc. where she is responsible for the leadership of HRIS, Kronos (Time and Attendance System), special projects management and oversight for the centralized payroll function. She teaches our course in Human Resource Information Systems.


David Johnson

David Johnson (MBA, Johns Hopkins University, Health Care Management) is a Vice President and Senior Consultant with Bolton, a Human Resources consulting firm. He has over 33 years experience in health care and employee benefits, with particular expertise in evidence-based workplace wellness programs, health care quality and strategies to drive sustained behavior change.  He is a frequent speaker at national and regional employer forums and is active in a number of Human Resources and health care boards and networking groups. David teaches our course HRD 650, Employee Wellness and Healthy Workforce Management.

Mark Fraser
Ph.D., SPHR
mfraser@fraserllc.com

Dr. Mark Fraser (Ph.D., Century University, 1994) has over 30 year’s experience in human resources management, including senior human resources leadership roles with Bon Secours Health System and other health care institutions. In these positions, he has worked in the full spectrum of HR specialty functions. Dr. Fraser is also a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) and a Six Sigma Green Belt. He has extensive teaching experience at the University level. 

Lauren Pappas
SPHR, SHRM-SC 

Lauren Pappas, SPHR, SHRM-SCP (MS, Human Resource Development, Towson University) leads The Maryland School for the Blind’s Human Resources department as the Director of HR and oversees the full range of HR functions to meet the needs of the School and its employees including recruitment and selection, compensation, benefits & wellness, training & staff development, performance management, HR administration and compliance, and employee relations. As a member of the School's Senior Leadership Team, she works to provide a strategic vision for the organization and provides staff support to the Board of Director's Human Resources Committee & Retirement Income Committee. Lauren has held a number of positions in Human Resources and Human Resource Management with government contractors as well as private and non-profit organizations. Lauren has been a long-standing member of the Society for Human Resource Management and is an active member the Chesapeake Human Resources Association and volunteer member of the Board for First Financial Federal Credit Union. Lauren teaches our Managing the Employee Relationship course.