Dr. Marie Gemelli-Carroll

Class of 2024

Degree

Ed.D. in Leadership & Organizational Innovation 

Last month, Marymount University graduated its largest-ever cohort of doctorate recipients. Among them was 75-year-old Marie Gemelli-Carroll, who earned her Ed.D. and exemplified the virtues of lifelong learning. As the founder, president and lead strategist of Starboard Strategy since 1995, Gemelli-Carroll has provided strategic planning, issues management and employee engagement services to clients in the government, corporate and nonprofit sectors. Through her continued education at Marymount, she has deepened her professional expertise and inspired future doctorate recipients. 

What led you to getting your doctorate at Marymount? 

Before pursuing my Ed.D., I had nearly 40 years of educational and professional experience. I earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Villa Maria College and began my career in teaching. I then transitioned to roles in corporate communications, advertising and marketing agencies and corporate marketing and government affairs before moving into consulting. I also obtained an M.B.A. from Xavier University, which enhanced my knowledge and credibility to serve corporate clients and consult from both corporate and client perspectives.  

Focusing on my professional pursuits and personal life, I didn’t search for a doctoral program until 2021. I then began looking for a program that was accredited, flexible, affordable, online and created a diverse and inclusive community of lifelong learners. I would say that “Marymount found me” rather than my choosing Marymount. I found the Ed.D. program checked all the boxes! 

How did you balance your doctorate education with your work and personal lives? 

I didn’t make the decision to pursue the Ed.D. alone — my husband and daughters were fully supportive of my decision. Professionally, since I own my consulting practice, I had the luxury of adjusting my workload accordingly. Personally, I had to say “yes, but not now” to activities and pastimes that I normally would have accepted or completed without a second thought. But I knew once the Ed.D. was earned, I could — without guilt — set aside time for reading mysteries, baking, cooking and entertaining. 

What was a highlight from your time in the program? 

There are too many highlights to choose from! One would be engaging with faculty, staff and fellow Cohort 3 students. Learning from each other online was unlike any in-person instructional experience I can recall. 

The biggest educational highlight was turning the corner on the Dissertation in Practice manuscript — completing the draft, working with an editor and working with my Lead Dissertation Faculty Mentor (LDFM) and Committee. At first, we thought the dissertation defense and publication would never come. Then, in seemingly a blink of an eye, it happened.  

One other favorite experience was the Fall 2023 Write-Up lab on campus — the “up close and personal” scholarly writing coaching experience. The support of the faculty and my cohort classmates who helped me make it over the finish line in both instances were unmatched. 

What is one thing you learned during your continued education? 

I’ve learned a lot about leadership, resilience, inclusion, effective communication and developing a growth mindset. My exposure to these concepts began in the 1980s when I earned my MBA. My consulting practice challenged me to grow and expand my knowledge and ability to lead, manage and model best practices by applying these behaviors. So, the Ed.D. curriculum met me where I was and guided me toward personal and professional development and improvement.  

I learned that Marymount University, its leadership, its faculty, its administration and my Cohort 3 classmates are unlike any other higher education experiences I have had. As a lifelong learner, I am always comfortable shifting from teacher to learner. What I enjoyed was how welcoming the University is — everyone is focused on doing what they can to ensure students achieve their goal of earning their Ed.D. 

What are your plans after graduation? 

I hope to fulfill my purpose of connecting people and ideas to provide leadership, inspiration, tactics and tools that result in personal and professional growth. I aim to continue my consulting practice while furthering my research on cultural competence in patient care. I hope to expand this research beyond health care into areas like education, police-community relations and customer service. I’m currently envisioning possibilities, identifying my passions and exploring curriculum development, teaching and research aligned with my dissertation in practice. I’m also actively pursuing speaking engagements, poster presentations and publishing opportunities, integrating my research into my consulting work.  

Finally, I hope to use the same skills and tools that kept me on track to complete the accelerated Ed.D. program — time management, self-care, mindfulness, growth mindset and asking for help. I am intentionally celebrating small wins to enhance my consulting practice and providing clients with ‘good thinking’ for ‘better results’ in fostering relevance and sustainability in teams, organizations and communities. 

What is your advice to those who want to pursue higher education later in life? 

In my defense presentation, I quoted C.S. Lewis: “You are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream.” I truly believe in this mantra, and if anyone is considering further education, my advice is to find a way to do it. 

Anything else to add?

I believe it’s important to give back. For that reason, I’m supporting Marymount’s new Ed.D. fund with a monetary gift to assist students as they pursue their doctorate. I also want to help any way I can in recruiting non-traditional students so they can have the same great educational experience that I had.