Faculty and Research

College of Business

Biography

Dr. Sara Willox is a Lecturer in the Integrated Business Department at the University of Central Florida (UCF). She joined UCF in 2020 to designing and instruct the Business Research for Decision Making course, a secondary core class in the REAL format utilizing the DMAIC model to teach problem-solving and decision-making skills with a foundation in quantitative reasoning using Excel. She also teaches Organizational Behavior and Development, Data Driven Decision Making, and Applied Business Technologies.
Dr. Willox brings over a decade of diverse teaching experience, having instructed online, face-to-face, and hybrid courses in business, leadership, sustainability, and psychology since 2010. Her academic journey includes roles at the University of Arizona Global, University of West Alabama, Concordia University, and Upper Iowa University.
Dr. Willox’s research interests span a wide range of topics, including team interactions, sustainable business practices, soft skill competencies in Industry 5.0, leveraging the metaverse in business, and enhancing managerial decision-making through business simulations. She has published several peer-reviewed articles and regularly presents at academic conferences.
In addition to her teaching and research, Dr. Willox is actively involved in service to the university community. She developed the annual “Integrated Business Immersion Day” for high school students, serves on the Student Conduct and Academic Integrity Board, advises student organizations, and participates in various faculty committees. She is also a faculty fellow for the Microsoft Excel Collegiate Challenge (MECC) and coaches the UCF Excel team.
Prior to her academic career, Dr. Willox accumulated 15 years of professional experience in nonprofit management, human resources, operations, and development. She has held leadership positions such as Director of Operations and Development, Human Resources Director, and Program Director.
Education
  • Ph.D. in Business – Organization and Management from Capella University
  • Ed.D. in Entrepreneurial Leadership from Johns Hopkins University (in progress)
  • Master of Liberal Arts in Sustainability and Environmental Science from Harvard University
  • MBA in Organizational Development from Upper Iowa University
  • Master of Arts in Instructional Design and Technology from UCF
  • Graduate Certificate in Corporate Innovation and Sustainability from Harvard University
  • Dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Communicative Disorders and Rehabilitation Psychology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison
Publications
Morin, J., & Willox, S. (2024). Innovative Debriefing Approach: Applying a Project Management
Framework to Develop a Debriefing Communications Plan for Educational Computer-Based Simulation Games. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 00472395241250004.
Willox, S., & Morin, J. (2023). Economic and environmental benefits of performance management
controls in human service transportation planning. Corporate Governance and Sustainability Review.
Willox, S., Morin, J., & Avila, S. (2022). Benefits of individual preparation for team success: planning
for virtual team communication, conflict resolution and belonging. Team Performance Management: An International Journal.
Morin, J., & Willox, S. (2022). Closing the Soft Skills Gap: A Case in Leveraging Technology and the
“Flipped” Classroom with a Programmatic Approach to Soft Skill Development in Business Education. Transformative Dialogues: Teaching and Learning Journal, 15(1).
Morin, J., Willox, S., & Avila, S. (2020). Kahoot! Games. Journal of Faculty Development, 34(3), 73-75.