<b><a href="http://www.allisongroup.com/maryannallison/">Dr. Mary Ann Allison</a></b> is a writer, researcher and consultant specializing in the study of societal and community evolution and the application of complexity theory to social dynamics. Her best-known works include <i>Managing Up, Managing Down</i> (1984) and <i>The Complexity Advantage</i> (1999). She is a principal of the Allison Group international consultancy, and an <a href="http://www.hofstra.edu/faculty/fac_profiles.cfm?id=28">assistant professor</a> in the School of Communication at Hofstra University.In 2012, she received Hofstra University's first <a href="http://www.hofstra.edu/home/news/pressreleases/05182012_mentoroftheyear.html">Mentor of the Year</a> award. She received her BA from <a href="http://shimer.edu">Shimer College</a> in 1971, acquiring an MBA from Long Island University in 1977 and a Ph.D. from NYU in 2005. (from <a href="http://shimercollege.wikia.com/wiki/Mary_Ann_Allison">Shimer College Wiki</a>)