Clara Fangfang Ma portrait

Clara Fangfang Ma, PhD

Adjunct Instructor
Academic AreaManagement & Organization
Academic AreaInnovation & Entrepreneurship
Academic AreaBusiness Communication

Dedicated to fostering inclusive and positive workplace cultures, Dr. Ma has leveraged her extensive research and entrepreneurial ventures. As a global leadership researcher and entrepreneur, she passionately connects forward-thinking talents worldwide.

Prior to her career as a professor and entrepreneur, Dr. Ma worked as a United Nations interpreter, TV host, and senior account executive for Asia's largest HR consulting firm. Driven by her commitment to enhancing global business relations and promoting cultural understanding, she employs neuroscience-based teaching approaches to achieve these goals.

Currently residing in Baltimore, Maryland, with her two lively boys and husband, she holds a doctoral degree in Entrepreneurial Leadership in Education from Johns Hopkins University.

Education

  • PhD, Entrepreneurial Leadership, Johns Hopkins University
  • MSc, Educational Leadership, Johns Hopkins University

 Research

Working papers

  • “International Students’ Mental Health Support” in collaboration with Dr. Shelby Forbes, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
  • “Immigrant Employees Silence” in the U.S. in collaboration with Dr. Irem Dermikan, Loyola University Maryland
  • “Cross-Cultural Leadership among Asian Immigrant Employees” in collaboration with Dr. Lindsay Thompson, Johns Hopkins University

Teaching

Current

  • Strategic Human Capital

Previous

  • Market Analysis
  • Global Business Environment
  • Intercultural Communication

Honors and distinctions

  • Diversity Advocate Award, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. 2023 and 2022
  • Global Leadership in Education Award, UNESCO, Beijing, China. 2021
  • Multiculturalism Human Resource Management Excellence Award, Human Resource Management Forum in Asia, Beijing, China. 2020

Impact and engagement

Business

Dr. Clara Ma, founder and CEO at Inception Consulting, spearheads partnerships with corporate HR consultancies and educational institutions worldwide.

Community

She advocates for immigrant employees' workplace success and the implementation of social-emotional learning principles in classrooms.

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