Professional Background

Dr. Larry Simmons began his career with the Detroit Police Department, before pivoting careers and later joining St. Bonaventure University as an adjunct faculty member teaching courses such as COM 590 Embracing Strategic Thinking: Marketing Strategy & Planning. After working in several precincts across the city, he retired from the police department in 2000, and in 2008 completed his Doctorate in Instructional Technology with a cognate in Organizational Communication.

Dr. Simmons’s research interest is the study of emergent phenomena, their effect on the collective mind, and ways to promote heedful communications among unfamiliar first responders converging from the region. His aim is to develop first-responder in-service training to transform the confounding aspects of an emergent phenomenon, manifested as disorganization, into manageable forms of disorganization by establishing a collective mind to promote heedful interactions and communications. To restore resilience during times of disaster response, regional agencies must find a way to engage in heedful communications that promote the processes of meaning-making and sensemaking to collectively formulate an effective response.

Another area of research interest is the study of effective instructional strategies for using online discussion forums to engage in argumentative dialogues that build the skills of critical and creative thinking.

Academic Credentials

• Ph.D., Instructional Technology & Organizational Communications, Wayne State University, 2008
• M.Ed., Instructional Technology & Business Consulting, Wayne State University, 1997
• B.A., Human Resources Admin & Law Enforcement Admin, Concordia University-Ann Arbor, 1995