Deese College’s Bish Joins George W. Bush Institute’s Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (June 14, 2021) – Adelle Bish, Ph.D., of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics has been selected to participate in the 2021 class of the George W. Bush Institute’s  Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program.

The program is a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at those serving the nation's veterans who are motivated to broaden their skillsets knowledge, and influence across the country.

An associate professor of human resource management in the Department of Management, Bish is the only person in the 51-member class chosen from North Carolina after a rigorous application and review process.

An active researcher in the field of human resource management, Bish’s current projects include investigating military veteran career transition challenges and appropriate human resource management responses in the United States and Australia, and exploring how best to support academic and career pathways for student veterans attending historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). 

“The Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program provides a unique opportunity to build skills and collaborative relationships with others who are also passionate about improving the lives of military veterans and their families,” Bish said. “The leadership project, conducted as part of the program, will enhance the impact of my research in the veteran employment area while also informing future efforts to improve veteran outcomes and enable the full utilization of veteran talent.

“N.C. A&T is in a strong position to continue to contribute to change in this area and I am looking forward to identifying additional opportunities to serve and grow the veteran community here in North Carolina through this program.”

Bish joined A&T in 2017 after more than eight years with Queensland University of Technology in Australia, sharing her expertise in human resources, including talent management, developing management capabilities and evaluating human resource management practices. Before her academic career, she trained in organizational psychology and worked in a range of human resource management leadership roles, with a particular focus on human resource strategy, managing change and talent management.  

Bish earned her B.A. in applied psychology from California State University, Long Beach, her Master in Organizational Psychology from the University of Queensland and her Ph.D. in management from Queensland University of Technology.

Through the Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program, Bish and her classmates join a growing network of 76 scholars from two previous classes who are rising leaders – both veterans and non-veterans – from a wide range of sectors who are working to improve post-9/11 veteran outcomes. They hold a variety of roles including business and community leaders, members of veteran-serving nonprofits, as well as leaders in government, academia, and active and reserve military service members.

Participants will meet with a variety of nationally known and distinguished professionals, educators, and experts in post-9/11 veteran transition and leadership development. They will attend the first two sessions virtually, then meet in Dallas for their final three sessions. The program will conclude with a final session and capstone event at the Bush Center in October.

The program is part of the Bush Institute’s commitment to developing and supporting effective leaders. It builds on the Bush Institute’s extensive body of work on veteran transition issues, and each participant joins the program with a personal leadership project, which allows them to implement what they learn in the program in service of improving veteran outcomes across the United States. The Boeing Co. is the Founding Program Underwriter.