Biography
Roland T. Shapley Jr., DSc, MBA, is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in the School of Health Administration at Texas State University. His work bridges healthcare leadership, higher education, organizational strategy, critical thinking, and the responsible application of emerging technologies. Drawing on more than two decades of executive healthcare leadership before entering academia, he brings a practitioner-scholar perspective to preparing students for increasingly complex healthcare organizations.
At the center of Dr. Shapley’s teaching philosophy is a simple premise: higher education should prepare students not merely to know more, but to think better. He emphasizes critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, constructive contrarian thinking, and evidence-based decision-making. Students are encouraged to question assumptions—including their own—consider competing explanations, distinguish evidence from opinion, and develop the ability to explain not only what they believe, but why they believe it.
This philosophy has become increasingly important with the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence. Dr. Shapley approaches generative AI as a powerful decision-support, learning, and productivity tool rather than a substitute for human reasoning. His teaching emphasizes responsible AI use, verification of AI-generated information, ethical decision-making, transparency, and preservation of human accountability. As AI makes information and potential answers increasingly accessible, he believes the ability to question, analyze, validate, synthesize, and exercise sound professional judgment becomes more—not less—important.
His approach also incorporates the AWARE Model of Self-Realization, a framework used to encourage students to examine their own assumptions, perspectives, strengths, limitations, and decision-making processes. The model reflects his belief that effective leadership begins with self-awareness: before individuals can successfully lead organizations and others, they must first develop a better understanding of themselves and how their perspectives influence their decisions.
Dr. Shapley also uses a yin-yang framework of Health Sciences and Health Administration to illustrate the interdependence of clinical and administrative perspectives. Healthcare delivery and healthcare administration are sometimes approached as separate domains, yet neither can function effectively without the other. Patient-centered clinical objectives must coexist with workforce realities, financial sustainability, regulatory requirements, operational capacity, quality expectations, and organizational strategy. The framework encourages students to recognize these competing forces and understand that effective healthcare leadership often requires balance rather than absolute solutions.
Together, these concepts—critical thinking, constructive contrarian thinking, self-awareness, balance, and responsible AI use—shape Dr. Shapley’s approach to healthcare leadership education. Rather than teaching management as a collection of predetermined answers, he encourages students to become comfortable with ambiguity, challenge conventional thinking appropriately, evaluate alternatives, and make defensible decisions in situations where there may be no perfect solution.
Dr. Shapley’s scholarship similarly reflects an interest in emerging issues affecting healthcare delivery, organizational performance, policy, and technology. He is a coauthor of the 2026 peer-reviewed rapid review, The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Enhancing Quality of Care in Nursing Homes, examining applications of artificial intelligence and their implications for quality of care in nursing facilities. His research also addresses Institutional Special Needs Plans (I-SNPs), healthcare payment models, hospital workforce issues, patient experience, skilled nursing facility staffing, and Medicare reimbursement.
His first peer-reviewed article as first author, The Effects of the Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) and COVID-19 on Nursing and Therapy Staffing Levels among Skilled Nursing Facilities, was published in the Journal of Hospital Management and Health Policy in 2025. His broader scholarly activity reflects an emphasis on applied research that connects healthcare policy and evidence with the realities facing healthcare organizations and their leaders.
At Texas State, Dr. Shapley serves as Faculty Advisor for the Bachelor of Health Administration Student Healthcare Leadership Coalition (HLC), providing leadership mentorship, strategic guidance, professional development, and opportunities for students to connect academic preparation with healthcare practice. He also serves on the School of Health Administration Awards and Scholarships Committee and as a site surveyor for the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME).
Before transitioning into academia, Dr. Shapley spent more than two decades in healthcare business and executive leadership. As founder, CEO, and Director of Strategic Development of Kustom Kinetics, he built a national healthcare organization serving more than 2,000 nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and home health agencies across 38 states. The organization grew to more than 20 team members and over $4 million in annual revenue. His leadership responsibilities included organizational strategy, workforce development, technology-enabled operational improvement, regulatory compliance, clinician education, healthcare reimbursement, and strategic growth.
He continues his industry engagement as CEO and Chief of Strategy of K2ISNP Consulting, where his work involves models of care, Medicare Advantage, skilled nursing and long-term care, healthcare reimbursement, CMS requirements, accreditation organizations, and strategic healthcare initiatives. This continued connection to industry allows him to bring contemporary organizational challenges and real-world decision-making into the classroom.
Dr. Shapley earned his Doctor of Science (DSc) from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where his doctoral research examined nursing and therapy staffing and Medicare reimbursement within skilled nursing facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Christian Brothers Universityand a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Louisiana State University.
His continuing professional development includes ACUE Effective Teaching Practices, research career development training in the health professions, Business Process Design for Strategic Management through the MIT Sloan School of Management, and additional study through Harvard Extension School. He is also an active member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Across his teaching, scholarship, service, and professional work, Dr. Shapley seeks to connect academic theory with professional reality. His objective is not simply to prepare students for their first healthcare management position, but to develop adaptable leaders capable of questioning assumptions, understanding themselves, evaluating emerging technologies, balancing competing organizational priorities, and exercising sound judgment throughout their careers.
At the center of Dr. Shapley’s teaching philosophy is a simple premise: higher education should prepare students not merely to know more, but to think better. He emphasizes critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, constructive contrarian thinking, and evidence-based decision-making. Students are encouraged to question assumptions—including their own—consider competing explanations, distinguish evidence from opinion, and develop the ability to explain not only what they believe, but why they believe it.
This philosophy has become increasingly important with the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence. Dr. Shapley approaches generative AI as a powerful decision-support, learning, and productivity tool rather than a substitute for human reasoning. His teaching emphasizes responsible AI use, verification of AI-generated information, ethical decision-making, transparency, and preservation of human accountability. As AI makes information and potential answers increasingly accessible, he believes the ability to question, analyze, validate, synthesize, and exercise sound professional judgment becomes more—not less—important.
His approach also incorporates the AWARE Model of Self-Realization, a framework used to encourage students to examine their own assumptions, perspectives, strengths, limitations, and decision-making processes. The model reflects his belief that effective leadership begins with self-awareness: before individuals can successfully lead organizations and others, they must first develop a better understanding of themselves and how their perspectives influence their decisions.
Dr. Shapley also uses a yin-yang framework of Health Sciences and Health Administration to illustrate the interdependence of clinical and administrative perspectives. Healthcare delivery and healthcare administration are sometimes approached as separate domains, yet neither can function effectively without the other. Patient-centered clinical objectives must coexist with workforce realities, financial sustainability, regulatory requirements, operational capacity, quality expectations, and organizational strategy. The framework encourages students to recognize these competing forces and understand that effective healthcare leadership often requires balance rather than absolute solutions.
Together, these concepts—critical thinking, constructive contrarian thinking, self-awareness, balance, and responsible AI use—shape Dr. Shapley’s approach to healthcare leadership education. Rather than teaching management as a collection of predetermined answers, he encourages students to become comfortable with ambiguity, challenge conventional thinking appropriately, evaluate alternatives, and make defensible decisions in situations where there may be no perfect solution.
Dr. Shapley’s scholarship similarly reflects an interest in emerging issues affecting healthcare delivery, organizational performance, policy, and technology. He is a coauthor of the 2026 peer-reviewed rapid review, The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Enhancing Quality of Care in Nursing Homes, examining applications of artificial intelligence and their implications for quality of care in nursing facilities. His research also addresses Institutional Special Needs Plans (I-SNPs), healthcare payment models, hospital workforce issues, patient experience, skilled nursing facility staffing, and Medicare reimbursement.
His first peer-reviewed article as first author, The Effects of the Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) and COVID-19 on Nursing and Therapy Staffing Levels among Skilled Nursing Facilities, was published in the Journal of Hospital Management and Health Policy in 2025. His broader scholarly activity reflects an emphasis on applied research that connects healthcare policy and evidence with the realities facing healthcare organizations and their leaders.
At Texas State, Dr. Shapley serves as Faculty Advisor for the Bachelor of Health Administration Student Healthcare Leadership Coalition (HLC), providing leadership mentorship, strategic guidance, professional development, and opportunities for students to connect academic preparation with healthcare practice. He also serves on the School of Health Administration Awards and Scholarships Committee and as a site surveyor for the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME).
Before transitioning into academia, Dr. Shapley spent more than two decades in healthcare business and executive leadership. As founder, CEO, and Director of Strategic Development of Kustom Kinetics, he built a national healthcare organization serving more than 2,000 nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and home health agencies across 38 states. The organization grew to more than 20 team members and over $4 million in annual revenue. His leadership responsibilities included organizational strategy, workforce development, technology-enabled operational improvement, regulatory compliance, clinician education, healthcare reimbursement, and strategic growth.
He continues his industry engagement as CEO and Chief of Strategy of K2ISNP Consulting, where his work involves models of care, Medicare Advantage, skilled nursing and long-term care, healthcare reimbursement, CMS requirements, accreditation organizations, and strategic healthcare initiatives. This continued connection to industry allows him to bring contemporary organizational challenges and real-world decision-making into the classroom.
Dr. Shapley earned his Doctor of Science (DSc) from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where his doctoral research examined nursing and therapy staffing and Medicare reimbursement within skilled nursing facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Christian Brothers Universityand a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Louisiana State University.
His continuing professional development includes ACUE Effective Teaching Practices, research career development training in the health professions, Business Process Design for Strategic Management through the MIT Sloan School of Management, and additional study through Harvard Extension School. He is also an active member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Across his teaching, scholarship, service, and professional work, Dr. Shapley seeks to connect academic theory with professional reality. His objective is not simply to prepare students for their first healthcare management position, but to develop adaptable leaders capable of questioning assumptions, understanding themselves, evaluating emerging technologies, balancing competing organizational priorities, and exercising sound judgment throughout their careers.
Research Interests
Artificial intelligence in healthcare and higher education; critical thinking, AI literacy, and responsible AI adoption; healthcare leadership and organizational strategy; skilled nursing facilities and long-term care; Medicare Advantage and Institutional Special Needs Plans (I-SNPs); healthcare workforce and staffing; patient experience and organizational performance; Medicare reimbursement and value-based care; healthcare payment models; and emerging models of healthcare delivery.
Teaching Interests
Healthcare leadership and strategic management; critical thinking and decision-making; responsible use of artificial intelligence in healthcare management; human resources and workforce leadership; healthcare services marketing; supervisory management; organizational strategy and innovation; leadership self-awareness and development; and the integration of Health Sciences and Health Administration in preparing future healthcare leaders.