Dr. Emily Read is a tenured professor, researcher, and sought‑after speaker who helps audiences rethink burnout and redesign resilience in high‑performing systems.
With interdisciplinary expertise spanning kinesiology, nursing, and health services research, Emily brings over 20 years of experience across higher education, healthcare, sport, and leadership. Her work sits at the intersection of resilience, wellbeing, leadership, and systems design—and she is known for translating complex research into compelling, human‑centered insights that resonate far beyond academia.
Emily’s talks blend evidence, lived experience, and practical frameworks. She challenges the dominant narrative that burnout is a personal failure and instead invites audiences to examine how systems, cultures, and expectations shape our capacity to thrive. Her signature style is thoughtful, grounded, and deeply engaging—combining clarity with compassion and intellectual rigor with accessibility.
As an academic leader and Associate Dean of Nursing, Emily has worked in high‑pressure environments where performance, care, and sustainability collide. Her speaking is informed by years of research on leadership, workplace wellbeing, and professional transitions—alongside real‑world experience leading teams and navigating complexity.
Audiences describe Emily as calm, credible, and quietly powerful. She doesn’t offer platitudes or quick fixes. Instead, she creates space for honest reflection and equips people with new ways of thinking about resilience, capacity, connection, and purpose.
Emily speaks to general professional audiences, healthcare and education communities, leadership teams, and organizations ready to move beyond burnout toward more humane and sustainable ways of working.
Emily’s Speaking Focus Includes:
- Redesigning resilience in high‑performing environments
- Burnout as a systems issue—not a personal failure
- Capacity, connection, and clarity at work
- Leadership in complex, people‑centered systems
- Wellbeing, identity, and sustainability in professional life
Emily Read, PhD, RN 