About Me

I will complete my Ph.D. from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University in August of 2012 with an emphasis in Organizational Behavior and Information Systems.  My dissertation has been co-advised by Professors Denise Rousseau and Robert Kraut.  My research focus is on leadership, social networks, and the organization and coordination of knowledge work.

I am originally from Madison Wisconsin but have resided in beautiful Pittsburgh Pennsylvania for the past five years. I am married to my wonderful wife Lisa, and have two beautiful daughters: Sophia and Audrey. My energetic English Springer Spaniel may frighten you at first, but he eventually stops frantically running in circles. I have been blessed to be a part of The Open Door, a Presbyterian Church serving the East End of Pittsburgh, for the past five years.

What time I have for hobbies I often use to read and ride my bicycle. Lately I have been reading about minimalism – the art of identifying what is important and eliminating everything else. I will likely be posting about minimalism and my attempt at moving towards a more minimalist lifestyle on my blog. I have also been reading about mindfulness and attempting to regularly practice mindfulness meditation. I am realizing through this practice that “doing nothing” can be very difficult, but the mindfulness benefits throughout the rest of the day are worth it. Lastly I have been reading about how to be a better writer and presenter. Improvement in both of these areas is a lifelong endeavor.

FAQ: The extra “c” in my url is for my middle name, Charles. I am 6’7″ inches tall. No I cannot dunk. Yes it is difficult to buy pants in that size. I have five brothers and sisters. Wisconsin cheese curds are amazing, but they will kill you if you eat them in the same meal as beer brats. No I don’t have a smart phone, and I often go months without using my cell phone. Yes I realize my daughter is wearing two non-matching shoes, that’s what she wanted to wear today and you have to choose your battles. I work at a standing desk, yes it is really tall.

Research Interests

Social Network Analysis; Leadership Development; Virtual Collaboration; Software Development

Education

2012 (Expected)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business, Pittsburgh, PA
Emphasis: Organization Behavior and Information Systems
Minor:  Statistical Research Methods

2009
Master of Science (MS)
Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business, Pittsburgh, PA
Emphasis: Information Systems

2007
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
University of Wisconsin – Madison, Wisconsin School of Business, Madison, WI
Emphasis: Information Systems

2004
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)
University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, College of Business and Economics, Whitewater, WI
Double Major: Management Computer Systems & Math Statistics

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Collier, B., Kraut, R. (2012). Leading the Collective: Social Capital and the Development of Leaders in Core-Periphery Organizations.  Collective Intelligence. Cambridge, MA. [PDF]

Collier, B., Bear, J. (2012).  Conflict, Confidence, or Criticism: An Empirical Examination of the Gender Gap in Wikipedia Contributors.  The ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work.  Seattle, WA. [PDF]

Collier, B., Burke, M., Kittur, A., & Kraut, R. (2010).  Promoting Good Management:  Governance, Promotion, and Leadership in Open Collaboration Communities.  The International Conference on Information Systems.  St. Louis, MO. [PDF]

Collier, B. & Hampshire, R. (2010).  Sending Mixed Signals:  Multilevel Reputation Effects in Peer-to-Peer Lending Markets.  The ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work.  Savannah, GA. [PDF]

Collier, B., Burke, M., Kittur, A., & Kraut, R.  (2008).  Retrospective versus Prospective Evidence for Promotion: The Case of Wikipedia.  The Academy of Management Annual Meeting.  Anaheim, CA. [PDF]

Selected Working Papers

Daniels, S., Daimont, I., Dabbish, L., & Collier , B. (2012).  User Contribution and FLOSS Project Performance: A Social Network Analysis of Cross Project Participation, Knowledge Contribution and Interactivity.

Collier, B., Bear, J. (2012). Where are the Women in Wikipedia? Understanding the Psychological Underpinnings of the Gender Gap in Contribution to Wikipedia.

Honors, Awards, and Distinctions

• Doctoral Consortium, Academy of Management, 2011
• United States Army Research funding for 2011-2012
• National Science Foundation funding for 2010-2012
• William L. Mellon Fellowship, Carnegie Mellon University, 2007-2010
• Outstanding MBA Student Award (awarded to two students of each graduating class), 2007
• G. Steven Burrill Technology Business Plan award of $4,000, 2006
• Golden Key Honors Association inductee, 2004
• Magna Cum Laude Honors & National Dean’s List Member, 2004

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

• Academy of Management (OB & OCIS Divisions)
• Association for Information Systems
• Social Computing Lab, Carnegie Mellon University
• Pittsburgh Area Network Scholars

Research & Industry Experience

• Research Assistant, Human-Computer Interaction Institute, Carnegie Mellon University
• Technical Consultant, Nakoma Capital Management Equity Fund
• Research Assistant, Accounting Department, Wisconsin School of Business
• Research Assistant, Applied Securities and Analysis Program, Wisconsin School of Business
• Project Manager, Virtualization Technologies, IBM
• Software Developer, Quad Graphics
• Web Developer, Residence Life, University of Wisconsin – Whitewater