Michael Nicholls, PhD

Chief Learning Officer
Director of Leadership Development & Curriculum Design

Dr. Michael Nicholls has lived the life of a college instructor, athletic coach, consultant and business professional. His combination of unique academic and business skills have been tested through his work in the corporate and governmental environments. An economic geographer by training, Michael has worked on high profile projects for The World Bank, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Energy and American Express. He has taught leadership development at the university graduate,  undergraduate, and executive education levels.

Michael’s service and commitment to teaching, student life, inspirational leadership and the sport of rowing was recognized in 1998 when the University of North Carolina named their boathouse in his honor. He claims all aspects of his professional life intersected in 2016 when the building’s name first appeared on a Google Map.

Michael received his B.S. in Political Science and Geography from the University of Minnesota. He earned his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Economic Geography. He is the author of The Inspirational Leadership Workbook: A Practical Guide to Leadership Development.