About the Institute
We are on a mission to identify the best practices and insights that will help employees live better lives at work and their organizations thrive.
What we do
1
Select topics that matter
2
Study them among diverse types of workers and organizations
3
Disseminate the results to reach wide audiences
Dr. Constance Noonan Hadley
Founder and Chief Scientist
Organizational psychologist Constance (Connie) Noonan Hadley is the Founder and Chief Scientist of the Institute for Life at Work. She is a globally recognized expert on work loneliness, psychological safety, team effectiveness, employee well-being, and the interpersonal impact of AI. Her current studies examine how AI adoption is reshaping connection, trust, and collaboration among colleagues.
Dr. Hadley is also a fellow at the Institute for Leadership & Work and former faculty member at the Boston University Questrom School of Business. Dr. Hadley serves as a regular consulting researcher at Microsoft on AI and the future of work projects.
Biography
With collaborators from around the world, Dr. Hadley conducts scholarly research with an applied lens. Her goal is to improve work life for all employees. Her research has been published in journals and magazines including Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, Human Relations, Group & Organization Management, and The Leadership Quarterly.
As a subject-matter expert, Dr. Hadley’s work and commentary are featured regularly in press outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, Financial Times, The New York Times, Fortune, Forbes, CNN, and Fast Company.
Dr. Hadley is also a well-known speaker and advisor to global organizations through the Stern Strategy Group, speaking on human-centered work in the age of AI, social connection, psychological safety, and team effectiveness. Her clients include members of Fortune 500 companies, professional service firms, government agencies, and non-profit organizations.
Dr. Hadley holds a PhD in organizational behavior and MA in social psychology from Harvard University, an MBA in strategic and human resource management from The Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania), and a BA in psychology from Princeton University.
Previously, she worked in management consulting at McKinsey & Company and in marketing and operations at General Mills, Inc. She mentors first-generation low-income students and serves on the Board of Trustees at MGB McLean Hospital, a worldwide leader in behavioral and mental health.
Dr. Hadley is on the Thinkers50 Radar List. This is a prestigious list of people from around the world whose ideas are making an important impact on management thinking.
“Dr. Hadley is addressing the critical needs of where and how we work; making workplaces and organisations properly equitable, safe, and productive for all”
(Stuart Crainer & Des Dearlove, Thinkers50)
About the Research Team
Dev Kumar
Research Associate
Dev holds an MBA from Boston University, along with Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Applied Psychology with a concentration in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. As a Founder and Researcher, he explores how real-time behavioral signals within teams can be captured and translated into scalable frameworks, tools, and AI-enabled solutions that drive measurable impact. His work focuses on workplace connection, psychological safety, and the conditions that make innovation possible.
LinkedIn
Anne Seymour
Operations Manager
Anne holds a BBA in Marketing and Management from the University of Georgia. As Operations Manager and Executive Assistant to Dr. Connie Noonan Hadley, she supports the Institute’s strategic and operational priorities, advancing research initiatives and external partnerships. Her work focuses on optimizing systems, coordinating projects, and ensuring organizational alignment across the Institute’s portfolio.
