Gary N. McLean, EdD

Hall of Fame Class of 2006

Gary N. McLean, EdD, coordinated the University of Minnesota Human Resource Development program for 25 years beginning in 1980, a program consistently ranked in the top human resource development graduate programs in the United States. He is a tireless and exemplary teacher, scholar and contributor to the human resource development profession. 

McLean is an internationally recognized expert in organization development and international human resource development. Many of his writings have received national awards, and he has served as editor of the Human Resource Development Quarterly, the premier research journal of the profession that is co-sponsored by the Academy of Human Resource Development and the American Society for Training and Development.

McLean has established and maintained a long-standing and productive program of research with more than 200 research publications. Much of McLean’s work has been focused on international human resource development, and he has made important contributions related to culturally sensitive training of human resources in other nations and in the conduct of organization development in various cultures. 

The graduate program he coordinated at the University of Minnesota attracts over a third of its students from other nations. He established formal cooperative working relationships with five universities outside the United States and created successful human resource development certificate and master’s programs in Saudi Arabia.

McLean was also recognized as the Outstanding Scholar by the Academy of Human Resource Development (1997) and has served as a visiting professor to universities around the world. He is a member of the University of Minnesota Academy of Distinguished Teachers, Honorary Life Member in Delta Pi Epsilon (1996) and Honorary Life Member in the Minnesota Chapter of the Organization Development Network (1995).

McLean served as president of the Academy of Human Resource Development, and during his tenure, the Academy established both Asian and European chapters with each sponsoring their own annual research conference. He also served as president of the International Management Development Association.

McLean’s dedication, expertise and ethical framework have resulted in extraordinary accomplishments across cultures.