Neil Ashkanasy Australian psychologist, organizational psychologist and engineer. Country: Australia

Biography of Neil Ashkanasy

Neil Ashkanasy is an Australian psychologist, specializing in organizational psychology and engineering. Although he is now primarily known as a psychologist, Ashkanasy originally sought success in a completely different field - hydroengineering, where he achieved considerable success. However, he currently rarely uses his construction skills, as he is passionate about creating effective and strong creative teams.

Ashkanasy was born in El Salvador. His father, Maurice Ashkanasy, was one of the founders of the school where Neil studied. Over time, this school has become one of the largest private educational institutions in Australia. After completing school, Neil enrolled at Griffith University, where he earned a degree in civil engineering. He continued his education at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, where he received a master's degree in hydroengineering.

In 1968, Ashkanasy began working for the Queensland Irrigation and Water Supply Commission, where he worked for 18 years and eventually became the Chief Engineer for Water Supply. During this time, Neil actively participated in the activities of the Institution of Engineers Australia and eventually held a position on the National Committee on Hydrology and Water Resources. One of the most significant projects he was involved in was the design and construction of the Wivenhoe Dam.

In 1970, Ashkanasy returned to education after a year of active professional work. He chose seemingly unexpected new specialties – he obtained a degree in information technology, a bachelor's degree in arts with honors, and a gold medal in psychology from the University of Queensland. Later, Ashkanasy continued his studies in psychology and even earned a doctoral degree.

In 1989, Neil joined the Technology and Innovation Management Centre, and a year earlier, he became a teacher at his alma mater, the University of Queensland Business School, gaining valuable experience in mentoring. He continued teaching, and in 1994, he received promotion and a permanent contract. In 1995, he relocated to the School of Management.

In 2002, two faculties merged, and from that moment, Ashkanasy worked at the University of Queensland Business School. From 2004 to 2008, Neil served as an Associate Dean in the Faculty of Business, Economics, and Law. Currently, he has returned to his position as a Professor of Management.

Ashkanasy is primarily known for his research in the field of organizational behavior in general and the study of emotional processes in work conditions in particular. He became the first Australian to be elected as a Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Currently, Ashkanasy serves as the Managing Editor of the Journal of Organizational Behavior and as an Associate Editor of Emotion Review and the Academy of Management Review. Additionally, he has served as the editor of the book series "Research on Emotion in Organizations." Neil's main activity is now somehow related to psychology, with over 100 journal publications and authorship of more than 200 conference papers. However, he occasionally applies his engineering skills, such as providing expert assessments after catastrophic floods in Brisbane.