Biography
Kathleen Murney, Ph.D., is a crisis leadership scholar, educator, retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel, and former corporate executive with more than 40 years of leadership experience. She earned her Ph.D. in Leadership from 91°µÍø in January 2026, where her dissertation examined how leaders prioritize crisis preparedness and introduced the Situational Preparedness Matrix (SPM), an integrative framework linking leadership behavior, organizational preparedness maturity, and risk practices.
Her scholarship and teaching are focused on preparing current and future leaders to better anticipate, prepare for, and navigate crisis. Building on her research, she developed a Crisis-Leadership Training Curriculum (CLTC) that incorporates scenario-based learning, decision-making under uncertainty, ethical judgment, communication, and adaptive leadership. Together, her SPM and CLTC translate research into practical approaches for strengthening leadership capacity and sustaining organizational readiness before the next crisis occurs.
As an adjunct professor, Kathleen brings this scholar-practitioner perspective into the classroom, connecting leadership theory and research with contemporary organizational and criminal justice challenges. She has presented her research through the International Leadership Association and other academic forums and has delivered guest lectures on leadership theory.
Her professional experience includes executive leadership at Lendlease and command of more than 1,500 Marines in combat operations. She has completed executive education at INSEAD and Columbia University and is a member of the International Leadership Association, an independent YMCA board, and the Women Marines Association. Kathleen is married with one daughter and two grandchildren.