Dr. Diana Echols
Dr. Diana Echols
Associate Professor of Business
Business and Professional Studies
Competency Based Education, Branding, Management, Organizational Leadership
Dr. Diana Gilmer Echols joined University of Massachusetts Global in January 2015 as a tutorial assistant professor of competency-based education in the School for Business and Professional Studies. She has educated adult learners for more than 10 years in both academic and corporate environments.
As an educator, Diana specializes in management, leadership, business administration, and marketing disciplines having taught everything from foundation to capstone courses. She enjoys educating adult learners and guiding them to academic goal completion. As a practitioner, Diana has managed cross-functional teams and operated her own businesses.
She is also committed to lifelong learning. This commitment is evidenced by her academic career, which includes a bachelor’s degree in business and management from the University of Maryland, a master’s degree in management with a concentration in international management from Troy State University, and a Doctorate in Management and Organizational leadership from the University of Phoenix, School of Advances Studies.
Education History
2010 - D.M. in Management and Organizational Leadership, University of Phoenix, School of Advanced Studies, Phoenix, AZ
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Dissertation: “A quantitative descriptive analysis to determine how post-secondary education in international business and management impacts American expatriate managerial success”
2001 - M.S. in Management - International Management, Troy State University, Troy, AL
1999 - B.S. in Business and Management (Computer Applications), University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Scholarly Activities
Publications
2017
-
Qualifications of Faculty Developing CBE Programs in Business, International Journal of Advanced Educational Research
-
CBExchange2017 Conference - Phoenix, AZ, Conference Faculty perceptions on CBE training, component/program development, and other thoughts
2014
-
The Pitfalls of Selecting American Expatriate Managers: A Narrative Literature Review, European Journal of Management
Presentations
2016
-
Innovation in Education through Competency Based Education (CBE), The International Conference on E-learning in the Workplace (ICELW)
Professional Experience
2015-PRESENT: Tutorial Assistant Professor of Business, University of Massachusetts Global, Irvine, CA
- Functioned as a competency based educational tutorial faculty member for business, management and leadership, marketing, and human resource competencies and assessments (formative and summative).
- Assisted in program development, reviewed content for accuracy, assisted in determining program needs as a subject-matter expert.
- Developed CBE components, Milestone Posts, for BBA degree program.
2014-PRESENT: Adjunct Professor, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA
- Taught First Year Seminar (1101 & 1200), Management and Organizational Behavior (MGT 3100), and Business Management Capstone (MT 4199) courses to undergraduate students.
2012-2014: Associate Dean, Business Programs, Argosy University, Orange, CA
- Managed undergraduate (A.S. Business Administration & B.S. Business Administration) and graduate business degree programs (MBA, MSM, & MSHRM).
- Assisted in the ACBSP special accreditation process. Led the development of the bachelor level competency-based degree offering for regional accreditation approval.
- Served as a business subject-matter expert (SME) for the competency-based BSBA and competency based MBA degree programs.
Education History
2010 - D.M. in Management and Organizational Leadership, University of Phoenix, School of Advanced Studies, Phoenix, AZ
-
Dissertation: “A quantitative descriptive analysis to determine how post-secondary education in international business and management impacts American expatriate managerial success”
2001 - M.S. in Management - International Management, Troy State University, Troy, AL
1999 - B.S. in Business and Management (Computer Applications), University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Scholarly Activities
Publications
2017
-
Qualifications of Faculty Developing CBE Programs in Business, International Journal of Advanced Educational Research
-
CBExchange2017 Conference - Phoenix, AZ, Conference Faculty perceptions on CBE training, component/program development, and other thoughts
2014
-
The Pitfalls of Selecting American Expatriate Managers: A Narrative Literature Review, European Journal of Management
Presentations
2016
-
Innovation in Education through Competency Based Education (CBE), The International Conference on E-learning in the Workplace (ICELW)
Professional Experience
2015-PRESENT: Tutorial Assistant Professor of Business, University of Massachusetts Global, Irvine, CA
- Functioned as a competency based educational tutorial faculty member for business, management and leadership, marketing, and human resource competencies and assessments (formative and summative).
- Assisted in program development, reviewed content for accuracy, assisted in determining program needs as a subject-matter expert.
- Developed CBE components, Milestone Posts, for BBA degree program.
2014-PRESENT: Adjunct Professor, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA
- Taught First Year Seminar (1101 & 1200), Management and Organizational Behavior (MGT 3100), and Business Management Capstone (MT 4199) courses to undergraduate students.
2012-2014: Associate Dean, Business Programs, Argosy University, Orange, CA
- Managed undergraduate (A.S. Business Administration & B.S. Business Administration) and graduate business degree programs (MBA, MSM, & MSHRM).
- Assisted in the ACBSP special accreditation process. Led the development of the bachelor level competency-based degree offering for regional accreditation approval.
- Served as a business subject-matter expert (SME) for the competency-based BSBA and competency based MBA degree programs.
Related Programs
Business
General Business (General Business) *self-paced, AA
This online, self-paced program helps students build the knowledge and skills to advance in business. This competency-based associate degree also provides the foundation for students to progress into a bachelor's degree program.
Jul 1, 2025