Meredith Lepley
Biography
Dr. Meredith Wells Lepley is Associate Professor of the Practice of Psychology in USC’s online Master of Science in Applied Psychology Program. Dr. Lepley teaches PSYC 505: Research Methods in Applied Psychology, a course in which students learn how to conduct quantitative and qualitative research to solve organizational challenges, as well as PSYC 592: Treatise.
Dr. Lepley’s own research has focused on workplace issues including flexibility, the aging workforce, workspace personalization, pets in the workplace, and worksite health promotion. Her work has been published in academic journals including The Journal of Environmental Psychology, Environment and Behavior, and The Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. Moreover, her work has been noticed by popular media outlets including The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, U.S. News & World Report, Psychology Today, National Public Radio as well as newspapers and radio programs in the United States, England, and Canada.
In addition to teaching, Dr. Lepley is a workplace consultant. Principal of Workplace Surveys & Solutions, LLC, Dr. Lepley works with organizations on assessing employee engagement and organizational practices using quantitative and qualitative research, diagnosing organizational problems, developing leaders, training organizations and employees on workplace topics, and guiding organizations through change. Certified in two change management programs, Prosci and The Change Cycle, Dr. Lepley works with all levels of employees from executives to staff to bring about positive change on issues such as leadership development, workplace communication, employee engagement, customer service, inclusion and diversity, and the multigenerational workforce. However, Dr. Lepley may be best known for her survey work, as she has designed and launched surveys to thousands of employees in thousands of organizations, and her surveys are requested for use by others.
Dr. Lepley has worked with organizations around the U.S. and beyond including Gresham Smith, Logan Aluminum, Toyota, the U.S. Army, Albaad, LG&E and KU, Ashland, Godolphin, Brown-Forman, Community Trust Bank, 3M, LifeWay, Community Action Council, Lexington Parking Authority, Central Bank, and Millennium Farms.
Dr. Lepley holds a Ph.D. in Social Ecology from the University of California, Irvine, and a B.A. in liberal arts and psychology from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College. Prior to joining the USC faculty, Dr. Lepley was the Director of Research and Consulting at the University of Kentucky’s Institute for Workplace Innovation, and a tenured psychology professor at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) where she taught graduate and undergraduate courses in organizational, social, and environmental psychology. She won the EKU National Alumni Association Award for Teaching Excellence in 2000 and the College of Arts and Sciences Research Award in 2003.
Dr. Lepley lives in Savannah, Georgia. She enjoys boating, travelling, snorkeling, snow skiing, and entertaining her friends and family.
Education
- Ph.D. Social Ecology, Environmental Analysis & Design, University of California, Irvine, 1997
- B.A. Liberal Arts, Psychology, Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, 1992
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Tenure Track Appointments
- Associate Professor of Psychology, Eastern Kentucky University, 2002 – 2005
- Assistant Professor of Psychology, Eastern Kentucky University, 1997 – 2002
Research, Teaching, Practice, and Clinical Appointments
- Associate Professor of the Practice of Psychology, University of Southern California, 2017-
- Lecturer, University of Southern California, 2016-2017
Other Employment
- Director of Research and Consulting, University of Kentucky, Institute for Workplace Innovation, 2013 – 2014
- Acting, Co-Executive Director, University of Kentucky, Institute for Workplace Innovation, 2012 – 2013
- Senior Research Associate, University of Kentucky, Institute for Workplace Innovation, 2010 – 2012