Dr. Kem Gambrell is a member of the DPLS program and teaches a variety of leadership, social justice, and research classes. Originally from Boulder, Colorado, she has spent the last 30 years in the Midwest, previously teaching at the University of Nebraska and Viterbo University. Dr. Gambrell holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Concordia College (Seward, Nebraska), a Masters degree in Leadership Studies, and a Ph.D. in Human Sciences (Leadership Studies) from the University of Nebraska. Dr. Gambrell works to facilitate a process in the classroom where transformative learning, critical thinking, and social justice perspectives are developed and utilized to evaluate and apply subject matter. Her goal is to correlate various leadership topics to contemporary issues and students’ life experience to foster learning, as well as developing skills for academic and post educational success. This is done with the intent of building/strengthening relationships with self, others and community, addressing complex societal problems, as well as contemplating diverse perspectives. Dr. Gambrell’s research has centered around exploring under-represented leadership paradigms, specifically focusing on Native American perspectives, as well as constructive development and the social construction of leadership. In addition, she has consulted for not-for-profit and medical organizations on a variety of leadership and organizational change over the past fourteen years.
Book Chapters
Gambrell, K. M. (2017). The Case for an Indigenous Collectivist Mindset: Book Chapter for . In J.L. Chin, J.E. Trimble, & J. E. Garcia (Eds.), Global and Culturally Diverse Leaders and Leadership: New Dimensions and Challenges for Business, Education and Societybook (pp.21-40). Emerald Publishing.
Gambrell, K. M. & Topuzova, L. N. (2016). Creating a Decolonized Alliance: American Indian and Alaska Native Doctoral Leadership Program. In P. Blessinger & D. Stockley (Eds.), Innovations in Higher Education Teaching and Learning: Emerging Directions in Doctoral Education (Vol. 6) (pp. 129-147). Emerald Publishing.
Peer-Reviewed Journals
Gambrell, K., Martin, A., & Mungaray, K. R. (2019). Following the 2016 Presidential Election: Positive and Negative Mood Affect and the Impetus Towards Activisim. Journal of Hate Studies, 14(1), 153. https://doi.org/10.33972/jhs.12
Gambrell, K. M. (2015). Lakota Women Leaders, Getting Things Done Quietly. Leadership, 12(3), 293–307. https://doi.org/10.1177/1742715015608234.
Stahl, M., & Gambrell, K. M. (2014). The Human Touch: A Phenomenological Study of Health Care Workers in the Hospital Setting. Journal of Human Resource Management and Labor Studies, 2(2), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.15640/jhrmls.
Gambrell, K. M., & Fritz, S. M. (2012). Healers and Helpers, Unifying the People: A Qualitative Study of Lakota Leadership. Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, 19(3), 315-325.
Gambrell, K. M., Matkin, G. S., & Burbach, M. E. (2011). Cultivating Leadership: The Need for Renovating Models to Higher Epistemic Cognition. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 18(3), 308–319. https://doi.org/10.1177/1548051811404895
Nelton, M., & Gambrell, K. M. (2012). Midwestern Cultural Values. Journal of International Business Research and Practice, 6, 19-36.
Segler, F. W. Jr., & Gambrell, K. M. (2012). Conflict Resolution Methods Preferred by Degree of Religiousness. Journal of International Business Research and Practice, 6, 76-89.
Burbach, M. E., Matkin, G. S., Gambrell, K.M., & Harding, H. E. (2010). The Impact of Preparing Faculty in the Effective Use of Student Teams. College Student Journal, 44(3), 752–761
