Biography
Dr. Christi Sanders Via, SPHR, SHRM-SCP is an accomplished human resources educator, scholar, and practitioner with over two decades of experience in both higher education and municipal HR leadership. She currently serves as Associate Professor of Human Resource Management and MBA Director at Colorado Mesa University, where she also coordinates the HR concentration for the BBA program. Dr. Sanders Via has designed innovative HR curricula, developed a professional certificate in HR, and spearheaded fundraising initiatives to support student access to SHRM certification.
With a DBA in Leadership from Walden University and advanced degrees in HR and Communication from Tarleton State University, she combines academic rigor with real-world insight. Her professional experience includes serving as HR Director for two Texas cities, where she implemented strategic HR initiatives and earned statewide recognition for her expertise in succession planning.
A prolific writer and public speaker, Dr. Sanders Via has authored peer-reviewed journal articles, HR textbooks for SHRM, and the student-focused book The Social Edge: Why Your People Skills Matter More Than Your GPA. She is actively involved in the HR community as a member of SHRM, WCHRA, and COSHRM, and has held numerous leadership roles on accreditation and curriculum committees at the university level. Her areas of expertise include employment law, instructional design, compensation, recruitment, and adult education.
Published Work
Sanders Via, C. (2025). The Social Edge: Why Your People Skills Matter More Than Your GPA. Christi Sanders Via.
Sanders Via, C. (December 23, 2024). The Business Times, Grand Junction, Co. Investing in the Future of HR: A Call to Support CMU HR Students.
Sanders Via, C. (2024). AI Power Hacks for College Students: Maximizing Your Success with Artificial Intelligence. TCVia Publishing.
Sanders Via, C. (May 27, 2024). How Much Human Resource Management Education is Enough? Examining Business Program Core Curricula. (2024). Journal of Human Resources Education, 18(2), 28-53.
Sanders, C., & Millstone, M. (2012). Succession planning in municipal governments: Adapting to change through knowledge transfer. In C. A. Lentz (ed.), The Refractive Thinker, Volume VII. Las Vegas, NV: The Refractive Thinker Press.
Sanders Via, C. (2024). An overview of employment law for Human Resource Management Students. (166 pages). Society for Human Resource Management.
Sanders Via, C. (2024). Total rewards: An overview of compensation, benefits, incentives, and other pay considerations from a Human Resource Management perspective. (253 pages). Society for Human Resource Management.