Dr. Nomi Shmerling is an experienced educator, psychologist, and transformation strategist whose career spans over 15 years across academia and global consulting. She currently serves as Adjunct Faculty at Sofia University, where she designs and teaches courses in the Global MBA program, integrating psychological insight with strategic business thinking. Her interdisciplinary approach fosters deep, reflective learning environments and equips students to lead with empathy, clarity, and vision in global business contexts. She also teaches psychology at Georgia State University – Perimeter College, bringing foundational theory to life through real-world applications and research-backed pedagogy.
Dr. Shmerling’s academic research focuses on modern yoga in the U.S., including its transformative capacities and the underexplored “shadow side” of yoga culture. She draws upon her own dissertation on the self-transformation of yoga teachers to inform both her teaching and mentoring of graduate students. Her background in change leadership, cultivated through roles at Capgemini Invent, Deloitte and other smaller firms. She is deeply committed to guiding students in finding meaningful connections between scholarship, self-inquiry, and social responsibility.
Education
- Ph.D., Psychology, Sofia University, 2020
Dissertation: “Exploring Self-Transformation Within the Lives of Yoga Teachers” - M.B.M.,Colorado Technical University, 2010
Minor: Project Management
- B.A., Geography, University of Washington, 2007 (Magna Cum Laude)
Educational Research
- Self-Transformation in Yoga Practitioners and Teachers
- Human-Centered Leadership and Organizational Culture Change
- Embodied Practices and Modern Wellness Movements
Licensures & Certifications
- Professional in Human Resources (PHR), HRCI
- Strategic Organizational Leadership, Management and Strategy Institute
- Six Sigma Black Belt, Deloitte Israel
- Business Transformation with Google Cloud, Josh Bersin Academy
- Human-Centered Leadership & Voice of the Employee, Josh Bersin Academy
Research & Training Interests
- Modern Yoga and Transformative Practice
- Yoga in the United States: Cultural Narratives and Ethical Considerations
- The Shadow Side of Yoga: Power, Appropriation, and Authenticity, Mental Health
- Organizational Change, Embodied Leadership, and Workforce Transformation
