UC Davis Used Scott M. Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" Intellectual Property

BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com

uc-davis-used-scott-m-graffius-intellectual-property---lwres






A Tale of Two Standards: The Integrity Gap



The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is a research institution with enrollment of more than 41,000 students, professional schools, and a global reputation for academic excellence. It has long prided itself on a culture of honesty and integrity. That culture is embodied in the UC Davis Code of Academic Conduct, which places shared responsibility for upholding academic integrity on students, faculty/staff, and administration alike. It is a culture the university holds up as a cornerstone of everything it does. Full source information and links for materials referenced in this article are provided in the Bibliography section.

So what happens when individuals at UC Davis are found to have repeatedly plagiarized the work of another person and violated that person's intellectual property rights?

The answer depends entirely on who you are.

If you are a
student, the answer is swift and serious. The UC Davis Code of Academic Conduct is enforced by a dedicated body — the Office of Student Conduct and Integrity — with centralized authority, consistent procedures, and documented consequences. Students found responsible for plagiarism face sanctions ranging from censure and probation to suspension or permanent dismissal from the entire University of California system. Repeat offenses escalate consequences.

If you are a
faculty/staff member, the answer is something else entirely. Faculty/staff misconduct is governed by a separate, faculty-controlled process rooted in UC Davis Academic Personnel Manual Section 016 (APM-016) and administered through the Committee on Privilege and Tenure — a body composed of faculty/staff peers. The process is slow, opaque, and self-regulating. There is no dedicated enforcement office with equivalent authority or urgency. Reaching any formal disciplinary outcome requires navigating a multi-stage internal process — a charges review, a probable cause determination, and a formal hearing — all operating largely out of public view and largely governed by the same professional class being investigated.

This is a deliberate double standard. The UC Davis Code of Academic Conduct states plainly that plagiarism devalues others' original work, that it is wrong to take or use an author's work without giving the owner the credit due, and that copyright violations can result in damages, fines, or worse. These standards should be for every member of the academic community, students and faculty/staff alike. When an institution demands integrity from its students while shielding its faculty/staff behind a slow, insular, and largely invisible accountability process, it betrays its own values.

This article is about UC Davis faculty/staff repeatedly plagiarizing Graffius' copyrighted work and violating his intellectual property rights. Such conduct by UC Davis faculty/staff is unprofessional, disgraceful, immoral, unethical, and unlawful.

Copyrights protect the intellectual property rights of creators, ensuring they receive recognition and compensation for their work, thus incentivizing creativity and innovation. Graffius presents this article to assert, protect, and enforce his copyright and other intellectual property rights.




Scott M. Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" Intellectual Property



Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 150 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with and analysis of team leadership and performance, Graffius created his "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams.

Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, universities, and others around the world feature and use Graffius' "Phases of Team Development." Select examples include:

  • Adobe,
  • American Management Association,
  • Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
  • Bayer,
  • Boston University,
  • Broadcom,
  • Cisco,
  • DevOps Institute,
  • Erste Group Bank AG,
  • Ford Motor Company,
  • Government of Finland,
  • Hasso-Plattner-Institut für Digital Engineering GmbH,
  • IEEE,
  • Johns Hopkins University,
  • Journal of Neurosurgery,
  • Microsoft,
  • New Zealand Government,
  • Oracle,
  • Technical University of Munich,
  • Torrens University,
  • Tufts University,
  • U.S. National Park Service,
  • U.S. Tennis Association,
  • UC San Diego,
  • UK Sports Institute,
  • University of Galway,
  • University of Waterloo,
  • Warsaw University of Technology,
  • Yale University, and
  • many others.

Its adoption highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence. In
2026, Graffius added human-AI teamwork—including the "exotic team dynamics" which emerge when advanced AI collaborates as a teammate—to his "Phases of Team Development."

Organizations engage Graffius to develop and deliver compelling talks and workshops. To date, he's presented sessions at 98 conferences and other events across 25 countries, including:

  • Armenia,
  • Australia,
  • Brazil,
  • Canada,
  • Czech Republic,
  • Finland,
  • France,
  • Germany,
  • Greece,
  • Hong Kong,
  • Hungary,
  • India,
  • Ireland,
  • Lithuania,
  • Luxembourg,
  • Nepal,
  • Netherlands,
  • New Zealand,
  • Norway,
  • Romania,
  • Sweden,
  • Switzerland,
  • United Arab Emirates,
  • United Kingdom,
  • and the United States.

Graffius’ "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is central and key to many of those sessions. His rate card and a listing of his engagements are at
https://scottgraffius.com/resources/Exceptional-PPM-and-PMO-Solutions-Rate-Card-for-2026-v26010107.pdf and https://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html, respectively.




UC Davis Faculty/Staff Repeatedly Plagiarized Graffius' Work and Violated His Intellectual Property Rights



UC Davis' Infringing 2023 Publication



Graffius’ copyright ownership details and permission request information are integrated into and appear on his 2019 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property. It reads: "Copyright © 2008-2019 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com."

UC Davis faculty/staff did not request nor receive permission to use Graffius’ copyrighted property.

Nevertheless, UC Davis' infringing 2023 "MGT 440 Student Handbook Integrated Management Project" publication used Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property.

The following exhibit shows Graffius' copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property (also shown at
https://x.com/ScottGraffius/status/1126788452295401474?s=20 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8kubFUC79k&t=2789s and other locations) and excerpts from UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication (the known location is https://schedule.aws.ucdavis.edu/public/documents/5516631/Syllabus).

The names of UC Davis faculty/staff listed on the infringing 2023 publication include:

  • Kelly Wilson,
  • Marybeth Kavanagh,
  • Keith Weissglass,
  • Mary Kay Vona,
  • Chris Ziemba, and
  • Selina Laqui.

uc-davis-used-scott-m-graffius-intellectual-property---exhibits-1a-lwres

As shown, UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication used Graffius’ 2019 copyright content mostly word-for-word. In further evidence of knowing and willful violation, UC Davis faculty/staff appeared to attempt to conceal the deceit by slightly altering certain words. For example, UC Davis faculty/staff changed "providing clear expectations" to "provide clear expectations"; in full context, their use is still plagiarism and infringement. A visual follows.

uc-davis-used-scott-m-graffius-intellectual-property---exhibits-1b-lwres

In addition to the visual above, here’s a comparison of content from Graffius’ 2019 copyrighted work and the infringing 2023 publication by UC Davis.

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Questioning”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Questioning”

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Displaying eagerness”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Displaying eagerness”

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Providing clear expectations”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Provide clear expectations”

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Resistance”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Resistance”

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Conflict”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Conflict”

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Competition”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Competition”

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Encouraging leadership”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Encourage leaders”

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Reconciliation”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Reconciliation”

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Members are engaged & supportive”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Members supportive”

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Recognizing individual and group efforts”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Recognize one another”

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Balance of task and process orientation”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Balance task and process”

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Encouraging group decision-making”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Group decision-making”

The UC Davis infringing 2023 publication used a material amount and the heart of Graffius’ 2019 copyrighted property.

UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication failed to acknowledge Graffius' ownership of his respective content. It did not quote, cite, or otherwise credit Graffius. By doing so, UC Davis faculty/staff misled others — including the public, as the publication was available without restriction on the Internet — into falsely believing that UC Davis faculty/staff are the authors and owners of Graffius' intellectual property.

UC Davis' infringement has damaged the marketability and value of Graffius’ intellectual property.

UC Davis' use of Graffius’ 2019 copyrighted property was not ‘fair use’ nor otherwise allowed.

UC Davis blatantly plagiarized Graffius' work and infringed on his intellectual property rights.

UC Davis faculty/staff conduct is disgraceful, unprofessional, unethical, immoral, and unlawful.

So long as UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication exists anywhere, in any form, UC Davis continues to spread misinformation and violate Graffius’ intellectual property rights. Accordingly, time is of the essence.

Evidence has been preserved.

UC Davis' Infringing 2024 Publication



Graffius’ copyright ownership details and permission request information are integrated into and appear on his 2019 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property. It reads: "Copyright © 2008-2019 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com."

UC Davis faculty/staff did not request nor receive permission to use Graffius’ copyrighted property.

Nevertheless, UC Davis' infringing 2024 "Integrated Management Project (IMP) and MGT 440 Course Objective" publication used Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property.

The following exhibit shows Graffius' copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property (also shown at
https://x.com/ScottGraffius/status/1126788452295401474?s=20 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8kubFUC79k&t=2789s and other locations) and excerpts from UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication (the known location is https://webapps.aws.ucdavis.edu/public/documents/6929287/Syllabus).

The names of UC Davis faculty/staff listed on the infringing 2024 publication include:

  • Barry Curtis,
  • Selina Laqui, and
  • Kelly Wilson.

uc-davis-used-scott-m-graffius-intellectual-property---exhibits-2a-lwres

As shown, UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication used Graffius’ 2019 copyright content mostly word-for-word. In further evidence of knowing and willful violation, UC Davis faculty/staff appeared to attempt to conceal the deceit by slightly altering certain words. For example, UC Davis faculty/staff changed "providing clear expectations" to "provide clear expectations"; in full context, their use is still plagiarism and infringement. A visual follows.

uc-davis-used-scott-m-graffius-intellectual-property---exhibits-2b-lwres

In addition to the visual above, here’s a comparison of content from Graffius’ 2019 copyrighted work and the infringing 2024 publication by UC Davis.

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Questioning”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Questioning”

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Displaying eagerness”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Displaying eagerness”

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Providing clear expectations”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Provide clear expectations”

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Resistance”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Resistance”

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Conflict”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Conflict”

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Competition”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Competition”

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Encouraging leadership”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Encourage leaders”

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Reconciliation”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Reconciliation”

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Members are engaged & supportive”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Members supportive”

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Recognizing individual and group efforts”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Recognize one another”

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Balance of task and process orientation”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Balance task and process”

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Encouraging group decision-making”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Group decision-making”

The UC Davis infringing 2024 publication used a material amount and the heart of Graffius’ 2019 copyrighted property.

UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication failed to acknowledge Graffius' ownership of his respective content. It did not quote, cite, or otherwise credit Graffius. By doing so, UC Davis faculty/staff misled others — including the public, as the publication was available without restriction on the Internet — into falsely believing that UC Davis faculty/staff are the authors and owners of Graffius' intellectual property.

UC Davis' infringement has damaged the marketability and value of Graffius’ intellectual property.

UC Davis' use of Graffius’ 2019 copyrighted property was not ‘fair use’ nor otherwise allowed.

UC Davis blatantly plagiarized Graffius' work and infringed on his intellectual property rights.

UC Davis faculty/staff conduct is disgraceful, unprofessional, unethical, immoral, and unlawful.


So long as UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication exists anywhere, in any form, UC Davis continues to spread misinformation and violate Graffius’ intellectual property rights. Accordingly, time is of the essence.

Evidence has been preserved.




Conclusion, Including Demand for Accountability



The evidence presented in this article shows a recurring pattern in which UC Davis faculty/staff plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' copyrighted property and infringed on his intellectual property rights. The conduct spanned multiple years, involved multiple publications, and implicated multiple faculty/staff participants.

Graffius’ copyright ownership details and permission request information are integrated into and appear on his 2019 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property. It reads: "Copyright © 2008-2019 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com."

UC Davis faculty/staff neither requested nor received permission to use Graffius' copyrighted property, yet multiple UC Davis publications incorporated material portions of it.

UC Davis' infringing publications failed to acknowledge Graffius' ownership of his respective content. They did not quote, cite, or otherwise credit Graffius. By doing so, UC Davis faculty/staff misled others into falsely believing that UC Davis faculty/staff are the authors and owners of Graffius' intellectual property.

UC Davis' infringement has damaged the marketability and value of Graffius’ intellectual property.

UC Davis' use of Graffius’ copyrighted property was not 'fair use' nor otherwise allowed.

The conduct of UC Davis faculty/staff is inexcusable, indefensible, and unlawful.

So long as UC Davis' infringing publications exist anywhere, in any form, UC Davis continues to spread misinformation and violate Graffius’ intellectual property rights. Accordingly, time is of the essence.

UC Davis must immediately implement the following two (2) actions:


1. Remove the Infringing Material.

1 (a). Electronic Versions: Immediately remove the infringing material (any and all publications/products with infringement) from digital platforms where it is published, posted, or distributed; this includes removing or disabling any online access to it. This must be done within five (5) calendar days of this 17 June 2026 notice, or the matter will be escalated.

1 (b). Physical Copies: If physical copies of the infringing material are in inventory or circulation, stop further distribution, recall any copies already distributed, and destroy (shred and recycle) copies. If there are physical copies, this must be done within five (5) calendar days of this 17 June 2026 notice, or the matter will be escalated.

2. Issue a Confirmation and Apology. Email Scott M. Graffius with confirmation that the infringing material has been removed — as delineated 1 (a) and 1 (b) — and apologize for plagiarizing his work and violating his intellectual property rights. The apology will not "spin" or "downplay" the plagiarism and infringement. Any "spin" or "downplay" will demonstrate bad faith by UC Davis. This must be done within five (5) calendar days of this 17 June 2026 notice, or the matter will be escalated.

Copyrights protect the intellectual property rights of creators, ensuring they receive recognition and compensation for their work, thus incentivizing creativity and innovation. Mr. Graffius maintains, enforces, and protects his copyright and other intellectual property rights.

Graffius expressly reserves his rights in this matter.

Notice



Beyond this article, Graffius sent notice of this serious matter to the UC Davis faculty/staff listed on the infringing publications, as well as UC Davis administration. He notified the following (some details below are redacted) via email.

UC Davis faculty/staff listed on the infringing publications:

  • Barry Curtis at b█████████@ucdavis.edu
  • Chris Ziemba (UC Davis email not listed, UC Davis email not found)
  • Keith Weissglass at k███████████@ucdavis.edu
  • Kelly Wilson at k███████████@ucdavis.edu
  • Mary Kay Vona at m███@ucdavis.edu
  • Marybeth Kavanagh at m████████@ucdavis.edu
  • Selina Laqui at s███████@ucdavis.edu

UC Davis administration:

  • Academic Affairs at p█████████@ucdavis.edu
  • Conflicts at b███████@ucdavis.edu
  • Conflicts at h███████@ucdavis.edu
  • Conflicts at k████████@ucdavis.edu
  • Dean at g████████@ucdavis.edu
  • Ethics at d██████████@ucdavis.edu.
  • Intellectual Property at k█████████@ucdavis.edu
  • Intellectual Property at r███████@ucdavis.edu
  • Research Compliance at d███████@ucdavis.edu
  • State Auditor at S█████████@doj.ca.gov
  • █████████████ at █████████@ucdavis.edu

Updates



If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section at the end of this piece.




uc-davis-used-scott-m-graffius-intellectual-property---ig-lwres




Graffius has generated over $2.51 billion in business value for Fortune 500 companies and other organizations around the world. Put that track record to work for you. For speaking engagements, use the request form; for other inquiries, email him.




Bibliography



Graffius, S. M. (n.d.). Public Speaker.
https://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html

Graffius, S. M. (2019, May 10). Phases of Team Development [Twitter post featuring the 2019 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development"; also see scanFOAM].
https://x.com/ScottGraffius/status/1126788452295401474?s=20

Graffius, S. M. (2026). Rate Card for 2026.
https://scottgraffius.com/resources/Exceptional-PPM-and-PMO-Solutions-Rate-Card-for-2026-v26010107.pdf

Graffius, S. M. (2026, January 3). Scott M. Graffius' Phases of Team Development - Applied to Human Teams and Human-AI Teams: 2026 Update. ScottGraffius.com.
https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.18184.89601

scanFOAM (2024, April 17). Experience learning | 25 years of ATACC | TBS24 [YouTube video featuring the 2019 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development."]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8kubFUC79k&t=2789s

University of California, Davis. (n.d.). How to make a whistleblower report.
https://compliance.ucdavis.edu/how-make-whistleblower-report

University of California, Davis. (2023, April). MGT 440 Student Handbook Integrated Management Project. [The names listed on the publication include Kelly Wilson, Marybeth Kavanagh, Keith Weissglass, Mary Kay Vona, Chris Ziemba, and Selina Laqui.]
https://schedule.aws.ucdavis.edu/public/documents/5516631/Syllabus

University of California, Davis. (2024, May). Integrated Management Project (IMP) and MGT 440 Course Objective. [The names listed on the publication include Barry Curtis, Selina Laqui, and Kelly Wilson.]
https://webapps.aws.ucdavis.edu/public/documents/6929287/Syllabus

University of California, Davis, Office of Student Conduct and Integrity. (2026). Interim UC Davis policy on student conduct and discipline: 102.01.1 UC Davis Code of Academic Conduct. University of California, Davis.
https://studentconduct.ucdavis.edu/code-academic-conduct

University of California Office of the President. (2026). APM-016: University policy on faculty conduct and the administration of discipline (Rev. Jan. 29, 2026). University of California.
https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/apm/apm-016.pdf

University of California Office of the President. (2026). APM-015: The Faculty Code of Conduct (Rev. Jan. 29, 2026). University of California.
https://aadocs.ucdavis.edu/policies/apm/apm-015.pdf




About Scott M. Graffius



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Scott M. Graffius is a strategic transformation leader who drives AI, Agile, and broader business and technology initiatives to deliver measurable value across projects, programs, portfolios, and PMOs. He is an expert in the teamwork tradecraft of both human and human-AI teams, including the “exotic team dynamics” that emerge. He is also an authority on the temporal patterns of social media, including the half-life of audience engagement.

He’s a practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and keynote speaker who’s taken the stage at 98 conferences and other events across 25 countries.

He’s delivered over $2.51 billion in value for Fortune 500 companies and other leaders in technology, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, and beyond.

Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities use Graffius and feature his work. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Ford, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest Inc., Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and others.

The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.

Experience

Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.

Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.

He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.

Award-Winning Author

Graffius has authored three books.


International Public Speaker

Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops.
Graffius has conducted 97 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.

With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.

The speaker engagement request form is
here.

Thought Leadership and Influence

Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:

  • Adobe,
  • American Management Association,
  • Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
  • Bayer,
  • BMC Software,
  • Boston University,
  • Broadcom,
  • Cisco,
  • Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
  • Computer Weekly,
  • Constructor University - Germany,
  • Data Governance Success,
  • Deimos Aerospace,
  • DevOps Institute,
  • Dropbox,
  • EU's European Commission,
  • Ford Motor Company,
  • Gartner,
  • GoDaddy,
  • Harvard Medical School,
  • Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
  • IEEE,
  • Innovation Project Management,
  • Johns Hopkins University,
  • Journal of Neurosurgery,
  • Lam Research (Semiconductors),
  • Leadership Worthy,
  • Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
  • London South Bank University,
  • Microsoft,
  • MSN,
  • NASSCOM,
  • National Academy of Sciences,
  • New Zealand Government,
  • Oracle,
  • Pinterest Inc.,
  • Project Management Institute,
  • Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
  • SANS Institute,
  • SBG Neumark - Germany,
  • Singapore Institute of Technology,
  • Torrens University - Australia,
  • TBS Switzerland,
  • Tufts University,
  • UC San Diego,
  • UK Sports Institute,
  • University of Galway - Ireland,
  • US Department of Energy,
  • US National Park Service,
  • US Soccer,
  • US Tennis Association,
  • Verizon,
  • Wrike,
  • Yale University,
  • and many others.

Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:

  • The Standard for Artificial Intelligence in Portfolio, Program, and Project Management
  • Agile Practice Guide – Second Edition
  • A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) – Eighth Edition
  • A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) – Sixth Edition
  • The Standard for Program Management – Fourth Edition
  • Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures – Second Edition
  • The Practice Standard for Project Estimating – Second Edition

He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.

Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft

Scott-M-Graffius-Phases-Of-Team-Development-2026-Update-v26010307G2-jpg-lwres

Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 150 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence. In 2026, Graffius added human-AI teamwork—including the "exotic team dynamics" which emerge when advanced AI collaborates as a teammate—to his "Phases of Team Development."

The 2026 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.

Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms

scott-m-graffius-lifespan-halflife-of-social-media-posts-update-for-2026-summary-visual-v26012207-jpg-lwres

Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities—such as Fast Company, GoDaddy,
Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume), Ministère de la Culture (French Ministry of Culture), Pinterest Inc., PNAS, and Telecommunications Policy, among others—his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.

The 2026 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.

Education and Professional Certifications

Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:

  • Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
  • Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
  • Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
  • Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
  • Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
  • Project Management Professional (PMP),
  • Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
  • IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).

He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management

Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.

Discover Scott’s Books


Connect with and follow Scott on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, and ResearchGate.




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How to Cite This Article



Graffius, S. M. (2026, June 17). UC Davis Used Scott M. Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" Intellectual Property. ScottGraffius.com.
https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/uc-davis-used-scott-m-graffius-intellectual-property.html




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Digital Object Identifier (DOI)



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Content Acknowledgements



Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" is copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.

University of California, Davis (UC Davis) name, mark, and content — except for material plagiarized from Graffius and used in violation of his intellectual property rights — are the property of The Regents of the University of California.

"MGT 440 Student Handbook Integrated Management Project," dated April 2023, except for material plagiarized from Graffius and used in violation of his intellectual property rights, is the property of UC Davis and contributors. The names of UC Davis faculty/staff listed on the infringing publication include Kelly Wilson, Marybeth Kavanagh, Keith Weissglass, Mary Kay Vona, Chris Ziemba, and Selina Laqui. Graffius' article includes limited excerpts, attributed and used under the fair use doctrine for purposes of news reporting, commentary, and analysis.

"Integrated Management Project (IMP) and MGT 440 Course Objective," dated May 2024, except for material plagiarized from Graffius and used in violation of his intellectual property rights, is the property of UC Davis and contributors. The names of UC Davis faculty/staff listed on the infringing publication include Barry Curtis, Selina Laqui, and Kelly Wilson. Graffius' article includes limited excerpts, attributed and used under the fair use doctrine for purposes of news reporting, commentary, and analysis.




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Tags and Hashtags



  • Academic integrity
  • Plagiarism
  • Intellectual property
  • Copyright infringement
  • University of California, Davis
  • UC Davis
  • Higher education governance
  • Faculty misconduct
  • Phases of Team Development
  • Academic ethics and accountability

  • #AcademicIntegrity
  • #Plagiarism
  • #IntellectualProperty
  • #Copyright
  • #UCDavis
  • #HigherEducation
  • #FacultyConduct
  • #StudentConduct
  • #TeamDevelopment
  • #PhasesOfTeamDevelopment




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Post-Publication Notes



If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.




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Copyright



Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.

Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.






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