Dr. Willett prepares future health leaders to communicate in ways that strengthen the organizations they serve. His teaching and research focus on two connected questions: How do leaders communicate in ways that help people thrive at work? And how can health organizations communicate more ethically and effectively with the publics they serve?
On the first, his research consistently finds that everyday leadership communication is positively associated with employee well-being, engagement, and retention. On the second, he examines how health care organizations use patient success stories as strategic assets and how audiences respond to those stories — work grounded in the recognition that because health care is difficult for consumers to evaluate, organizational storytelling can have an outsize influence on consumer decisions.
Dr. Willett brings more than 20 years of professional experience to the classroom. Before joining the faculty, he served as Program/Research Director of the Novak Leadership Institute and spent seven years leading strategic communications for MU Health Care and the School of Medicine, including the health system’s COVID-19 communication response. He began his career as a newspaper reporter and editor. He is a three-time University of Missouri graduate and an alumnus of the MHA program he now serves.
Education
- PhD, University of Missouri School of Journalism (Strategic Communication), 2025
- MHA, University of Missouri School of Medicine, 2021
- BJ, University of Missouri School of Journalism, 2001
Courses taught
- HLTH_ADM 8470 Strategic Planning and Marketing for Health Care Organizations
- HLTH_ADM 7544 Managerial Epidemiology: Population Health Management
Selected publications
Willett, J. F., LaGree, D., Shin, H., Houston, J. B., & Duffy, M. (2026). The role of leader communication in fostering respectful workplace culture and increasing employee engagement and well-being. International Journal of Business Communication, 63(2), 361–385. https://doi.org/10.1177/23294884231195614
Willett, J. F., LaGree, D., Warner, B. R., Houston, J. B., & Duffy, M. (2024). Flourishing with flexibility: Leader communicative support of flexible work arrangements (FWA) enhances employee engagement and well-being. International Journal of Business Communication. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/23294884241291531
Willett, J. F., Rodgers, S., & Stemmle, J. (2024). Seeking the public health angle in Missouri newspaper coverage of the opioid crisis. Newspaper Research Journal, 45(3), 311–331. https://doi.org/10.1177/07395329241255158
Professional Associations
- Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA)
- International Communication Association (ICA)