Denise Y. Wynn, DBA, is a higher education leader, consultant, and educator with more than two decades of experience in sponsored research administration and institutional operations. She has worked across both large research-intensive universities and smaller institutions, supporting faculty, research administrators, and leadership teams throughout the full lifecycle of externally funded research.

Denise is the founder of Wynn Essentials, where she designs and delivers professional development programs that blend technical expertise with human-centered leadership. Her work focuses on helping professionals navigate complex systems with clarity, confidence, and compassion—particularly in high-pressure, compliance-driven environments.

She is also the author of Permission to Pause: Making Space for Grief in the Workplace, a book that explores how leaders can acknowledge loss, support their teams, and create healthier, more resilient workplace cultures. That work informs her approach to leadership development, emphasizing presence, empathy, and sustainability alongside performance.

With a background in accounting and information systems, and advanced training in management and organizational leadership, Denise brings a practical, systems-level perspective to sponsored research. Her writing and teaching center on calm decision-making, clear communication, and leadership practices that support both people and institutions.

Sponsored Research & Sanity: Calm the Mind, Pivot in Chaos, Lead with Clarity reflects Denise’s belief that effective research administration is not only about managing rules and processes—it is about leading with intention in the midst of complexity.