Dr. Monica Forret is a Professor in the Department of Management and is the Director of the Doctor of Business Administration Program. Dr. Forret teaches courses on human resource management, organizational behavior, women in business, research methods, leadership, training & development, and organizational culture. She conducts research primarily in the areas of networking, mentoring, careers, job search processes, gender issues, and work attitudes.
She has published in several academic journals such as the Journal of Vocational Behavior, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Journal of Managerial Psychology, Career Development International, Group & Organization Management, Organizational Dynamics, British Journal of Management, and Leadership & Organization Development Journal. Dr. Forret has presented numerous research papers, symposia, and professional development workshops at international meetings of the Academy of Management.
Dr. Forret was the recipient of the inaugural Doctoral Alumni Research Fellow award and was selected as an Athena Award Honoree in 2018 for excellence in her profession and support of other women. She received the Faculty Scholarship Award in the College of Business in 2020 and the Graduate Faculty of the Year Award in 2021 by the Graduate Student Government Association.
Dr. Forret was elected twice to the Board of Directors of the Careers Division of the Academy of Management, served as President of the Rotary Club of Davenport, and served on the Board of Directors of Dress for Success Quad Cities. In 2024, she founded Help Ghana Thrive, Inc. to support rural communities in their education, healthcare, and economic development initiatives.
She earned her Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of Missouri. Prior to her academic career, Dr. Forret was a CPA and worked in Minneapolis as an auditor for Deloitte & Touche and for Prudential. In addition to St. Ambrose, she has taught at Long Island University, Franklin College in Switzerland, the University of Cologne, and has been an invited speaker at colleges and universities in India and Ghana.