Dr. Nicole Pulliam

Successfully guiding my clients through the muddy, mystifying process of tenure & promotion, academic leadership advancement, and beyond.  

Nicole Pulliam, Ph.D. is a certified professional coach, with a specialization in executive and career coaching rooted in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) principles. Nicole has an expansive background in higher education for over 20 years in academic leadership (student affairs & academic affairs) and as a tenured faculty member. Nicole draws upon her counseling, multicultural competence, and social justice training background to honor clients’ unique needs and lived experiences at the intersections of their multiple identities.  As a Black Indigenous Person of Color (BIPOC) woman and first-generation college graduate, Nicole is most passionate about supporting clients from similar backgrounds, who often feel like impostors in the academy. As a mother of two, Nicole is committed to helping faculty and academic leaders successfully navigate the complexities of parenting while maintaining productivity and preserving their overall wellness.  

Nicole understands firsthand how confusing and perplexing the tenure and promotion process can be. She guides junior faculty through the often-muddy process of tenure and promotion, supports mid-career faculty by clarifying career goals and potential next steps along their career journeys, and provides strategic leadership coaching for clients who are ready to take the leap into administrative roles (and to those who have found themselves in those roles far too soon). Nicole encourages her clients to say YES to things that matter most in their lives while boldly saying NO to anything that is out of alignment with their goals and values. Nicole’s coaching mission is to help her clients thrive in the academy, and not merely survive. 

Nicole Pulliam, Ph.D. has served as a graduate-level professor, researcher (PI and Co-PI), department chair, program director, and has supervised doctoral student research and dissertations. Most notably, Nicole was named the inaugural director of a large initiative, managing a $2-million grant to foster educational equity and anti-racist practices in K-12 settings while maintaining community and university-wide partnerships and supervising grant-funded personnel. Nicole co-founded a new first-generation faculty initiative at her institution through grant funds, where she has worked to foster a celebratory community amongst first-generation faculty and students. She is a sought-after speaker, trainer, facilitator, and strategist on the topics of leadership and diversity, equity, inclusion, & belonging (DEI&B). Nicole is well-published and has presented her research, workshops, and training sessions at the international, national, and regional levels.