Dr. Heather Caruso

Biography

Heather Maiirhe Caruso joined UCLA Anderson in 2018, serving as a faculty member and associate dean for inclusive excellence, as well as faculty co-director for the Inclusive Ethics Initiative. As an organizational behavior scholar and researcher, she teaches in the areas of Management Organizations and Behavioral Decision Making. Caruso’s work is deeply rooted in facilitating inclusive success in both personal and professional realms. Her formal interests in organizational social psychology were developed during her undergraduate studies at Stanford, focusing on cross-cultural negotiation research. Over the years, her interests have expanded, informed by her experience in a multinational Silicon Valley startup, where she became fascinated with the real-world impacts of cultural identity on workplace dynamics. Caruso emphasizes the importance of addressing interpersonal challenges to enhance individual contributions and foster effective collaboration. With rigorous academic training and practical experience, she aims to address factors that maximize positive experiences in organizations, advocating for equity and inclusion. A strong proponent of lifelong learning, she encourages students to leverage their education towards management excellence and engage in transformative educational experiences at UCLA.

Research Interests