Since 2005, she has served as Director of Online Programs for the College of Business and Management at the University of Illinois, Springfield (UIS). In 2015, Laurel was awarded an Online Effective Practice Award from the Online Learning Consortium for her leadership in the Community of Practice in E-Learning (COPE-L) at UIS. In 2011, she received the Burks Oakley Distinguished Online Teaching Award from UIS. Laurel earned her Ph.D. in Business Administration, with a major in Organizational Behavior, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Laurel's research interests include online learning, adaptation to change and work-life integration.