Bio
Lt Col Cookie Day is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Management, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. She has served in command, Headquarters Air Force, medical support, and academic roles, including assignments at the Pentagon, Air Force Inspection Agency, and multiple medical groups. She most recently served as Commander of the 31st Medical Support Squadron at Aviano Air Base, Italy, before completing her doctoral studies. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Organizational Behavior from the University of South Carolina, Master of Business Administration and Master of Health Administration degrees from Baylor University, and a Bachelor of Science in Management from the Academy.
Education
Doctor of Philosophy, Business Administration, Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management, University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C. (2026)
Masters of Business Administration and Masters of Health Administration, Baylor University, Waco, Texas (2011)
Bachelor of Science, Management, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. (2005)
Professional Experience
PhD Student, University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C. (July 2023 – June 2026)
Squadron Commander, 31st Medical Support Squadron, Aviano AB, Italy (June 2021 – June 2023)
Instructor of Management, Director of Advising, Department of Management, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. (June 2019 – June 2021)
Chief of Medical Policy, SecAF/CSAF Executive Action Group, Pentagon, Va. (May 2017 – June 2019)
Director of Staff & Inspector, Air Force Inspection Agency, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. (May 2015 – May 2017)
Administrator, 628th Medical Group, JB Charleston, S.C. (May 2014 – May 2015)
Medical Resource Management and Readiness Flight Commander, 628th Medical Support Squadron, JB Charleston, S.C. (September 2013 – May 2014)
Medical Logistics Flight Commander, 628th Medical Support Squadron, JB Charleston, S.C. (August 2011 – September 2013)
Student/Resident, Baylor University, Ft Sam Houston, Texas (June 2009 – July 2011)
Personnel and Administration Flight Commander, 99th Medical Group, Nellis AFB, Nev. (August 2008 – June 2009)
Resource Management Deputy Flight Commander, 99th Medical Support Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev. (August 2007 – August 2008)
Group Practice Manager, 99th Medical Group, Nellis AFB, Nev. (August 2005 – August 2007)
Research and Scholarly Interests
Teams and Collective Phenomena
Values in Organizations
Multilevel Methods
Leadership and Work Experiences
Publications
Bliese, P. D., and C. Day. In Press. “Conventional Multilevel Methods.” In Handbook of Research Methods in Work and Organizational Psychology, edited by V. González-Romá, Edward Elgar Publishing.
Research in Progress
McFarland, L.A., Day, C.E., Ray, C., & Harold, C.M. Untangling the Web: A Systematic Historical Narrative Review of Values in Organizations. Stage: Under review at Academy of Management Annals
Khadka, I., Day, C.E., McFarland, L.A. Applicant Expectations and Responses to Ghost Jobs. Target Journal: Academy of Management Journal. Stage: Data Collection
Hill, E.T. & Day, C.E. The Weight of the Role: How Role Baggage Shapes Leadership Intent. Target Journal: Personnel Psychology. Stage: Study Design
Day, C.E., Bliese, P.D., & Maltarich, M.A. A Construct-Based Decomposition of Non-Independence: A Review of Group-level Influence in Organizational Research. Target Journal: Journal of Applied Psychology. Stage: Data Collection
Conference Presentations
McFarland, L.A., Ray, C., Harold, C.M., & Day, C.E. (2026). Lost in Translation: How Returning to Basic Values Theory Can Transform Value Congruence Research. [Symposium]. In K. Tirol-Carmody (Chair), Back to the Future: Revisiting Foundational Topics to Uncover Emerging Frontiers in PE Fit Research. Symposium presented at Academy of Management Annual Conference: Philadelphia, PA.