
Jody Hoffer Gittell
Faculty Director
Jody Hoffer Gittell is a Professor of Management at Brandeis University's Heller School for Social Policy & Management, Faculty Director of the Relational Coordination Collaborative, and Co-Founder and Board Member of Relational Coordination Analytics. Gittell developed Relational Coordination Theory, proposing that highly interdependent work is most effectively coordinated through networks of shared goals, shared knowledge, and mutual respect, supported by frequent, timely, accurate, problem-solving communication. The Relational Model of Change shows how structural, relational and work process interventions can strengthen those networks. Gittell has published dozens of scientific articles and multiple books including The Southwest Airlines Way; High Performance Healthcare; Sociology of Organizations; Transforming Relationships for High Performance; and Relational Analytics: Guidelines for Analysis and Action, and she helps organizations with performance improvement.
Casey Heely (on leave until 1/24)
Events Planning and Implementation

Benedict Owusu
Strategic Communications
Trained as a Journalist and a Public Relations expert, Benedict Owusu has been working as a Sports Journalist for over 13 years and is also passionate about helping the poor in the community and the general development of society. He has covered major international sporting events including FIFA World Cups and contributed to global networks like the BBC, Aljazeera, etc, and won awards for producing compelling documentaries. He has successfully combined his work as a journalist and a social worker since 2019 when he worked with the National Health Insurance Authority, a pro-poor health system designed by the Ghana government to take care of the health needs of Ghanaians as their Digital Media Manager. Benedict is now pursuing a Master’s in Sustainable International Development at Brandeis University's Heller School for Social Policy & Management, while serving as Director of Communications for the Relational Coordination Collaborative.
Roman Terekhin
Community Engagement
Roman Terekhin has studied and worked throughout Europe, Asia, and North America, and has been involved with institutions such as Singapore Management University and Harvard Business School. After more than twenty years as a manager, entrepreneur, and researcher in corporate and non-profit sectors, Roman launched his career in academia, focusing his research on peer growth groups, and peer coaching groups (PCG) for business leaders, in particular.
As a researcher, Roman aims to maximize the value of employees’ and business leaders’ peer coaching experiences, thus facilitating prosperity both for the organizations and their employees. Roman’s recent study, presented at EURAM, ARNOVA, and AoM conferences, included in-depth critical incidents interviews with high–ranking participants of peer coaching groups, entrepreneurs, and employees with the aim to understand the factors that enable PCG to be effective for different goals.

Hannah Watson
Events Planning and Implementation
Hannah Watson is a second-year Master of Public Policy candidate at the Heller School for Social Policy & Management. She is interested in understanding US Immigration policies and utilizing the theology of John Gaventa's Dimensions of Power to research and build sustainable systems and policies that create equitable economic opportunities for US immigrants. Previously, she worked in multicultural and diversity-inclusive organizations, where she developed and coordinated programs and events that created an impactful, sustainable, and inclusive learning environment for college students.