Michael DeWilde, Director

Michael DeWilde is the Koeze Business Ethics Initiative Director and Professor of Management at the Seidman College of Business, Grand Valley State University (Michigan). He teaches in the MBA and Executive MBA programs, with a focus on courses in ethics and leadership.  He also taught in GVSU’s Philosophy department, offering courses on human nature, eastern philosophy, and service-learning.  His Community Working Classics seminar received a national award for "Excellence in Philosophy Programs" from the American Philosophical Association and was the recipient of a major grant from the Kellogg Foundation.  DeWilde was a winner of a Pew "Teaching Excellence" award, as well as a "Graduate Teaching Excellence Award" given by GVSU grad students. He has been a featured speaker at universities and businesses in North America, India, and France, giving talks on moral psychology, business ethics, and the pedagogy of teaching ethics. He has a chapter on the importance of introspection for developing leaders in the book Social Responsibility, Entrepreneurship and the Common Good, published by Pelgrave Press.

He was, for a year, a Research Affiliate professor with the ESC Rennes School of Business in Rennes, France, and has for many years consulted with West Michigan businesses and organizations as an executive coach. For the past eight years he has been affiliated with Corewell Health, the largest integrated health care system in Michigan, where his work focuses on the culture of the OR and the development of leaders.

His work has been featured in the New York Times and Inc. Magazine, among other places, and he has published widely. His essay on neuroscience and the teaching of business ethics was published in BizEd magazine, and his most recent piece, “A Business Ethics Center Rethinks Its Role,” is in the journal Teaching Ethics. He holds degrees from Harvard University and Grand Valley State University.

Valerie Palmer, Office Coordinator

Valerie is the Office Coordinator for the Seidman College of Business Outreach Centers. While supporting the directors for the Richard M. Helen DeVos Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, the Family-Owned Business Institute, and the Koeze Ethics Business Initiative, she provides support to the daily operations of CEI, including working closely with student employees, scheduling, event planning, and handling financial and budget-related matters.

She has been employed with GVSU for 10+ years. Formerly, Valerie was the Student Life Assistant in the Office of Student Life where she assisted the director, provided support to the daily operations of the OSL, which included working closely with student organizations on their events, supervising student employees, supporting large student events, and handling financial and budget transactions. Prior to the OSL, she served as the Officer Coordinator in the Seidman College of Business Dean’s Office where her work included event planning, graphic design, social media management, website development, and a variety of other tasks.

Valerie received her bachelor’s degree in advertising and public relations with a business minor in 2008 followed by a master’s degree in communications in 2015 from GVSU. In her spare time, Valerie loves reading, writing reviews, and managing social media outlets for her book-related blog and podcast. She also enjoys gardening, crafting, baking, cooking, and spending time with her husband and three sons.

Travis Lai, Marketing Coordinator

Travis Lai is the Marketing Coordinator for the Koeze Business Ethics Initiative at Grand Valley State University. He works on sharing KBEI's message through social media and web content.

In addition to his role with KBEI, Travis also serves as the social media coordinator for the Vietnamese Student Association at GVSU. There, he creates visual and video content that connects with followers. This content brings people together and highlights Vietnamese culture.

Travis enjoys learning what connects with others and is interested in how marketing can be used to tell meaningful stories and build communities.

Laura Junker, Research Assistant

Laura Junker is a Research Assistant for the Koeze Business Ethics Initiative. She recently completed her MBA from Grand Valley State University and holds an undergraduate degree in English and Political Science from Central Michigan University. Her academic and research interests include business ethics, moral psychology, and the impact of neoliberalism on businesses and academic institutions. In her spare time, Laura enjoys rock climbing, sewing, and reading.