Dr. Christopher F. Burnett is director of Doctoral Programs/Assistant Professor at Nova Southeastern University's Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences. He joined the University in 1993, shortly after completing his doctorate in psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1992. His area of clinical specialty is Bowen Family Systems Theory, an interest he has maintained now for over 20 years.

Dr. Burnett is increasingly recognized for his work in the application of systems thinking to social and organizational systems. His work focuses on "Human Systems" in the areas of government, business, education, community development and health care, with the goal of illuminating and improving the quality of the human relationships necessary for success in each. He was a featured presenter at the 2001 AAMFT Summer Institutes for Advanced Clinical Training in Vancouver, where he presented "Developing a Corporate Consulting and Systems Training Practice".

He has worked over the past six years as an independent Human Systems Consultant in both the corporate and not-for-profit sectors. His clients have ranged from multi-million dollar public corporations, to institutions of higher education, county government, and United Way supported community organizations. Each of them have sought his help in understanding and changing the "relational climate" of their respective organizations, at both the micro as well as macro levels. Dr. Burnett has presented some of his work on consulting in pre-conference institutes at AAMFT and received acclaim for both his content and interactive style. 

As a professor, Dr. Burnett was the dissertation chair for the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy's 1997 "Outstanding Graduate Research Award" winner, Dr. Jane Dye. He was also the faculty advisor for the first AAMFT Minority Internship Award winner, Ms. Fanya Jabouin- Monnay. His wide variety of academic interests have allowed him to teach graduate courses in subjects as varied as Bowen Family Systems Theory, Organizational Conflict, Diversity and Human Development, Research, Consultation, Quantitative Research Methods, Economics and Politics of Health Care, and Human Systems in Health Care Settings. He has also served on numerous University wide-committees, including the New Degree Program Review Committee, Alliance for Healthy Communities Advisory Committee, NSU's Strategic Planning and Implementation Committee, The Family Business Institute, and NSU's Institutional Review Board.