Innovation to Action

Guest Speaker Series

BU established the Innovation to Action speaker series in 2021 to offer all BU community members an opportunity to learn about workforce practices and concepts from significant thought leaders and subject matter experts.

Advancing a Culture of Care: Leading from the Front Line

BUHR hosted the fourth Innovation to Action speaker series event on March 27, 2024. Attendees learned how front-line supervisors have the power to advance workplace culture by developing teams through inclusive excellence, technology, strategic outcomes, and more.

Keynote:
- Dr. Allison Vaillancourt, Vice President & Senior Consultant; Segal
Moderator:
- Mumtaz Badshah-Brown, Asst. Vice President, Talent Development; Boston University
Panelists:
- Dr. Constance Noonan Hadley, Research Associate Professor; Boston University
- Dr. Angelique Grant; Senior Consultant & Principal; The Inclusion Firm
- Dr. Jim Johnsen, Vice President of Executive Search; Greenwood Asher & Associates

ChatGPT and HR: The Next Workplace Frontier

BUHR and the Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences hosted the third Innovation to Action speaker series event on October 25, 2023. This fall session raised awareness and shared successful techniques to help staff supervisors navigate HR strategy and administration in the new era of ChatGPT.

Opening remarks:
- Amanda Bailey, Vice President for Human Resources, Boston University
- Fred Foulkes; Director, Human Resources Policy Institute and Professor of Management & Organizations; Boston University
Keynote speaker:
- Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM)
Moderator:
- Azer Bestavros, Associate Provost for The Faculty of Computing and Data Sciences, William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, and Founding Director of the Hariri Institute for Computing; Boston University
Panelists:
- Wendy Colby, Vice President and Associate Provost for BU Virtual; Boston University
- Krista Sande-Kerback; Marketing Leader for AI Governance & Governance, Risk, and Compliance; IBM
- Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., President and CEO of SHRM

Managing Mental Health at Work

BUHR hosted the second Innovation to Action speaker series event on March 29, 2023. This session highlighted workplace best practices and resources around how managers and employees can successfully manage their mental health at work.

Keynote speaker:
- David Ulrich, Rensis Likert Professor, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan
Moderator:
- Judy Platt, Chief Health Officer & Executive Director of Student Health Services, Boston University
Panelists:
- Constance Noonan Hadley, Lecturer for Management and Organizations, Questrom School of Business, Boston University
- Manuel Cuevas-Trisán, Vice President of Human Resources, Harvard University
- Karen Brouhard, Director, Faculty & Staff Assistance Office, Boston University

Managing Burnout and Wellbeing in the New Normal

BUHR hosted the inaugural Innovation to Action speaker series event on November 1, 2022. This session was devoted to raising awareness and helping staff and supervisors learn how to manage burnout and well-being in the new world of remote, hybrid, and in-person work.