Joan Rentsch

Joan R. Rentsch earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in Psychology with a specialty in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Maryland and her B.S. in Psychology from The Ohio State University.  She is Professor of Communication Studies at The University of Tennessee where she has served as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor of Management.  Dr. Rentsch’s expertise is in the psychological processes of organizations, teams, cognition, communication, and mindfulness.  Her published research appears in peer reviewed academic books and journals including Journal of Applied Psychology, Academy of Management Journal, and Organizational Research Methods.  She has served on editorial boards, grant review boards, and on research review panels. The National Science Foundation, the United States Office of Naval Research, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the United States Army, Office of the Secretary of Defense, and others have funded her research.  Her professional memberships include the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, American Psychological Association, Academy of Management, and the National Communication Association.  Her post-doctoral training includes the Leadership Development Program (LDP) at the Center for Creative Leadership and the Tennessee Leadership Program.

Dr.  Rentsch offers workshops and classes on mindfulness at UT and in the community.  She has completed professional training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) from Duke University Integrative Medicine and from the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Division of Preventative and Behavioral Medicine.

Education

• PhD   The University of Maryland, Industrial/Organizational Psychology
• MA    The University of Maryland, Industrial/Organizational Psychology
• BS      The Ohio State University, Psychology
• Certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Teacher from the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School

Research Interests

• Mindfulness
• Team Member Schema Similarity
• Cognition in organizations
• Organizational Behavior