2025 Best 40-Under-40 MBA Professors: Voni Pamphile, George Washington University

Voni Pamphile
George Washington University

“I took Professor Pamphile’s Strategic Negotiation and Ethics course in early 2020, the first time she ever taught it. From the start, it was clear that she wasn’t just another professor going through a syllabus. She made negotiation feel real, accessible, and immediately useful—especially for entrepreneurs like me.

I run 2Gether-International, a nonprofit accelerator that supports disabled founders in growing their businesses. Thanks in part to Professor Pamphile’s class, I’ve been able to close major deals, including a multi-year partnership with Google, a $1 million contract that I negotiated almost entirely over email. When I was on the verge of losing a $200,000 donor deal, I reached out to her, and her guidance helped me navigate the situation. Although we unfortunately did lose the donation, her willingness to help, be present, and talk through how theory meets practice was incredibly useful—not only in strengthening my own negotiation skills but also in shaping our organization’s approach as a whole.“ – Diego Mariscal, CEO/Founder of 2Gether-International

Vontrese (“Voni”) Pamphile, 39, is an Associate Professor of Strategic Management and Public Policy at the George Washington University School of Business. She proudly hails from Ypsilanti, MI, and now happily calls Takoma Park, MD, her home. Her scholarship explores how organizations and the professionals within them navigate tensions between business imperatives and societal values, with particular attention to professional burnout, authenticity, and employee responses.

Dr. Pamphile’s work has been published in leading journals, including the Academy of Management Journal and Organization Science. Her research has earned awards such as Best Practical Impact and Most Innovative Paper and has been supported by the National Science Foundation. She also bridges academic and practitioner audiences through outlets like the Harvard Business Review and a published policy brief.

Before academia, Pamphile was an Executive Director of a nonprofit organization focused on college access for low-income students and served as an AmeriCorps member — experiences that shaped her lifelong commitment to understanding how organizations can balance commercial success with broader societal good. She holds a dual PhD in Management and Organizations and Sociology from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and earned her BA in Sociology and American Culture from the University of Michigan.

At George Washington University, Pamphile teaches Business Ethics & Public Policy and Strategic Negotiations to MBA students and has also taught undergraduate courses. She is recognized for a distinctive teaching style that blends experiential learning, values-centered leadership development, and deep student reflection. Across more than a dozen sections, she has earned some of the highest teaching evaluations in her school.

In addition to her research and teaching, Pamphile is deeply committed to mentorship and community-building. She regularly mentors PhD students and junior scholars and is active in academic networks that promote inclusion, intellectual openness, and supportive scholarly cultures.

BACKGROUND

At current institution since what year? 2018

Education:  PhD, 2018, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University (Joint PhD in Management & Organizations and Sociology). BA, 2008, University of Michigan (Joint Major in Sociology and American Culture, minor in Math).

List of MBA courses you currently teach: Business Ethics and Public Policy, Strategic Negotiations and Society 

TELL US ABOUT LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR

I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when… I had a transformative experience in college, thanks in large part to the guidance of my professors and research mentors. I knew then that I wanted to continue both researching and impacting future students. I did not realize I wanted to be a business school professor specifically until midway through my joint degree training, when I saw that my impact could potentially be greater and observed how MBA students were motivated to make a positive difference in the world.

What are you currently researching and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it? I am currently studying what happens when big social issues hit the workplace. One major insight is that even when companies try to do the right thing, it can make employees more aware of what is missing, and more likely to feel frustrated or burned out.

If I weren’t a business school professor… I would be leading a foundation and driving change across sectors. I have always been drawn to work that keeps one foot in the world of big ideas and one foot grounded in real-world action. Running a foundation would let me stay curious, stay close to cutting-edge research and policy, and help shape impact on society.

What do you think makes you stand out as a professor? I bring strong organization and structure to every class, but I think what sets me apart is my focus on the individual journey of each student. I challenge students to connect big ideas to their own leadership values, and I design assignments (like the Statement of Purpose) that push them to think about who they are and what kind of career and impact they want to have. I invest in building a sense of community, including in online courses, with personalized welcomes, individualized outreach, and feedback tailored to each student’s path. Students often tell me they leave my courses with a clearer sense of themselves. I believe great teaching is about helping students find both knowledge and confidence, and I bring that mission into every classroom I lead.

One word that describes my first time teaching: intentional

Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me about being a business school professor:  That success depends as much on relational skills and emotional intelligence as it does on effort and expertise. From teaching MBA students to navigating research collaborations and service roles, the ability to listen, adapt, and build real connections is everything.

Professor I most admire and why: Mary Pattillo. She inspired me even before I met her, when I first encountered her work as an undergraduate. As a PhD advisor, Mary showed me how to conduct rigorous qualitative research without losing sight of real people’s lives and experiences. Beyond her scholarship, she models the kind of person and mentor I aspire to be: confident, charming, smart, warm, practical, reliable, and simply nice to be around.

TEACHING MBA STUDENTS

What do you enjoy most about teaching business students? Most recently, I’ve been teaching in the healthcare MBA and online MBA programs, where students balance full-time careers with their degrees. Many are doctors, healthcare professionals, or consultants, and they bring incredible real-world experience into the classroom. I love how seriously they approach learning and how often I hear from them years later about applying ideas from our course. Those moments make teaching especially meaningful to me.

What is most challenging? Teaching business ethics can be difficult because the subject resists easy answers. Students sometimes want a clear right or wrong, but part of the learning is grappling with ambiguity. Moreover, teaching business and public policy can be challenging in our fast-changing policy and business environments.

In one word, describe your favorite type of student: thoughtful

In one word, describe your least favorite type of student: unprepared

When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as… transparent

LIFE OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM

What are your hobbies? Exercise, playing basketball, and spending time with my family — including four young kids, so life is full and lively!

How will you spend your summer? I teach summer term and I continue to do research year-round, so summer will be more of the same, with a couple of family trips including to the Poconos and Colorado. 

Favorite place(s) to vacation: Anywhere with water. 

Favorite book(s): Right now, most of the books I read are with my 7-year old twin daughters. Our current favorite is the Land of Stories (a great read for elementary-age kids!). 

What is currently your favorite movie and/or show and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much?  I don’t spend much time on media — if I have free time, I usually spend it with people or exercising.

What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why? I love a lot of different music, but the artists who’ve stayed closest to my heart tend to come from R&B and soul – especially artists like Lauryn Hill, Frank Ocean, and Erykah Badu. 

THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS

If I had my way, the business school of the future would have much more of this… leadership from schools willing to put substance over image – investing in education that outlasts any ranking cycle.

In my opinion, companies and organizations today need to do a better job at… building and sustaining cultures where values and trust are as visible, prioritized, and rewarded alongside hard performance metrics.

I’m grateful for…  the mentors and colleagues who opened doors for me, the peers who continue to challenge and inspire me, and my family, who make everything worthwhile.

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