Biography

Dr. Foti received her Ph.D. from The University of Akron. She is a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science (APS) and the Society for I-O Psychology (SIOP). She received the SIOP Distinguished Teaching Contributions for 2006 and the Virginia Tech Alumni Association Teaching Award for 2005. In 2018, she received the Outstanding Mentor award for the College of Science.

Dr. Foti's research focuses on leadership perceptions, how leaders emerge in teams, leader – follower relationships, and the measurement of leadership behaviors. Currently, her research is funded by two grants from the Army Research Institute, and one grant from NSF.

Dr. Foti also has a strong interest in improving the effectiveness of interdisciplinary research teams. As part of her a co-principal investigator role on an National Science Foundation IGERT grant, Dr. Foti developed and tested a model to understand the teamwork in interdisciplinary research teams. In addition to the research framework, she collaborated on the development of innovative courses for both graduate students and faculty designed to enhance competencies needed for effective interdisciplinary research teams.

In addition, Dr. Foti continues to be involved in AdvanceVT. The mission of AdvanceVT is to assist Virginia Tech in preparing, recruiting, and retaining high quality and diverse faculty. AdvanceVT began in 2003 with a grant from the National Science Foundation to promote and enhance the careers of women in academic science and engineering through institutional transformation. Grant funding continued until August 2010. A key component of Virginia Tech’s program was a leadership assessment, coaching and development program for senior women faculty, which Dr. Foti developed.

Dr. Foti also works with a variety of organizations to help individuals develop teamwork skills. She conducts workshops on team problem solving, team communication, and team conflict management.