Current Projects

Safety

The HR Science Safety Team is continuing its collaboration on a multi-year data analytics project with the cooperation of Marathon Petroleum Corporation. Previously, predictive analytics were conducted to provide tangible recommendations on the organization's behavioral observations and safety audits in further reducing workplace injuries. This semester, the team will continue these analytics by refining their results to account for the influence of shift patterns, contractor labor hours, department-specific turnarounds, and more. The results of this project will provide more insight into the operational contexts that can increase the efficacy of their previous recommendations. Thus, they will be able to provide further targeted recommendations based on a deeper understanding of how these variables interact with safety outcomes. This refined approach will help the client organization better address specific risk factors, improve overall workplace safety, and implement more effective injury prevention measures. The team will also begin the data discovery process for operational-related data to examine whether these variables increase risk and therefore impact incident probabilities.

Safety Team

These projects are under the direction of Dr. Shawn Bergman, Dr. Timothy Ludwig, and team lead Firzana Syazania.

Evidence-Based Practices

The Evidence-Based Practices team uses data-driven methods to create practical solutions for issues that the psychology department and Appalachian State as a whole face. This year we will focus on two major projects: updating our Eugene website, and conducting a survey of senior psychology majors to assess how well our students’ needs are being met. Eugene is designed to assist undergraduate psychology majors at App State in discovering the careers available upon completing a Bachelor’s degree. We will continue our collaboration with the Department of Psychology faculty to ascertain the competencies that undergraduate students gain in their classes.

We will also conduct a needs assessment survey, which will gather senior psychology undergraduate students’ plans after graduation and information regarding the resources that they utilized while at App (career center, networking opportunities, etc.). The ultimate goal of this survey is to aid the Psychology Career Advisor position by proactively identifying the needs of the current senior class and anticipating how to best respond to them.

EBP Team

The EBP team is led by Abigail Branco, Oliver Sullivan, and Dr. Shawn Bergman with much help from the Psychology Career Advisor, Cassidy Zekas.

Organizational Culture Insights (OCI)

DEI Team Our research team, Organizational Cultural Insights (OCI), examines workplace culture and its impact on employee experiences and organizational effectiveness. We focus on exploring topics such as fairness, representation, and belonging. Previously, our team conducted research on the perceptions of professionalism among Black graduates from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) and provided consulting with App State's Physics department to apply to the SEA Change Award. Our team is currently working on several projects, one of which examines the effects that images on a company’s “Careers Page'' web page have on the application intentions of applicants of different race/ethnic and LGBTQ+ identities. The other two projects we are actively researching include developing a "Readiness for DEI Scale" and investigating the impact mattering has on employee well-being. We’re always looking for passionate individuals to join our team and help shape positive cultural change in the workplace—plus, we have a lot of fun while doing it!

DEI Team

These projects are under the direction of Dr. Tim Huelsman, Dr. Jessica Doll, Dr. Kristl Davison, and team leads Cassidy Zekas and Natalee Jamerson.

Photo Galleries

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Merchants Distributors, Inc.VP of HR John Dollar Presents at SHRM Meeting

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HR Science Research Team

Testimonials

"Being able to integrate my existing business experience into a psychology degree through the dual-teaching of I/O Psych with HRM was the number one reason I elected ASU for furthering my graduate education."

Kate Thompson ‘14

"The HRM component of my degree was extremely important when I entered the job market. The psychology courses I took within the program helped me solidify my research skills and perspectives on human behavior but the HRM courses really got down to what businesses want from HR/IO employees."

Dagmara Pawlowska '11

"This hybrid I-O program, which seeks to bridge the scientist-practitioner divide, had the perfect appeal to me. Indeed, this was the only such program I applied for, because there were no other I-O programs that excited me like ASU’s."

Ricky Carroll '13

"I am thankful for my time there. The exceptional faculty, environment, curricula, and fellow students of the ASU IOHRM Program prepared me for adding evidence-based value to a variety of talent initiatives. I have yet to experience a day of work that is not positively impacted by the learning and development delivered through the ASU IOHRM Program. As we learn more about the ever-changing workplace of today and prepare for the exciting (and challenging!) future, I remain convinced that committed IOHRM professionals of all disciplines are equipped for delivering significant contributions to the most critical of individual and organizational outcomes."

Ryan Felty '12

"The HRM part of the degree has been critical to my success. It is what got me in the door for several interviews. It is absolutely essential to my current job and career path. Having the HR foundation allows the I/O to have context."

Ariel Grosshuesch ‘10

"The IOHRM degree from ASU has been extremely beneficial to my career in human resources. The dual concentration in business and psychology opened doors I didn't realize could be opened in our field. The business classes provided a strong foundation to work as an HR business partner, and the psychology focus has enabled me to provide a perspective that is unique in an organization's corporate structure. The program also facilitated a great opportunity to connect with other students, professors, and colleagues, as well as exposure to several great organizations. Many of the HR Executives that I have had personal interaction with in the Denver area either have an advanced degree in I/O Psychology, or recognize it's worth."

Elizabeth Schmidt '04

"The masters program in IOHRM at Appalachian State University provided me with both the theoretical foundation and applied experience to excel in my career. Not only did the program prepare me for doctoral studies, it also equipped me to be an effective practitioner upon graduation. The distinct program format provides non-business degree majors with a unique opportunity to bridge the social sciences with business education. I give the IOHRM Program my very highest recommendation for the program – it changed my life!"

William Sparks, Ph.D '96

"I was among the first graduates in I/O Psychology. The program provided a wonderful blend of Psychology, Business and Human Resources courses. The degree has been helpful in landing career positions and I have used what I learned in every job I have had since I graduated."

Laverne (Hales) Hibbett '84

"The cross-disciplinary aspect of the program was the primary reason that I looked at attending App for my graduate studies. I absolutely loved my HRM courses and deeply valued each of them."

Kerry Talbert '12

"The IOHRM program at ASU has exposed me to different ways of thinking and analyzing behavior within the workplace, which has benefited me in becoming well-rounded HR professional."

Carlton Brunson '11

"What I gained from my time in the App State IOHRM program from 2001-2003 goes beyond the technical curriculum knowledge that I learned; "softer" skills of critical thinking, debate preparation and engagement, leadership, and more have proved just as valuable post-graduation. This comprehensive program has proven to be a lifelong investment as I continually apply lessons and knowledge gained from those fulfilling 3 years."

Nicholas Graham '03

"No other Master's program (that I know of) has such a unique composition of curriculum. When I obtain a diploma from ASU's IOHRM program, employers will immediately have a good idea what kind of training I received."

Jason Copeland ‘13

"I have been so fortunate to have built cross-functional expertise even beyond my time at ASU. That vast experience would not have been possible without the strong foundation I received through ASU's IOHRM program."

Cynthia Miller ‘01

"Appalachian's IOHRM program more than prepared me for my career. The consulting experiences I had with leaders of large organizations, and the knowledge I gained through the rigorous coursework allowed me to enter my position prepared for what I needed to accomplish."

Kristin Berglund '07

"This unique program prepares you for success in a number of different positions including as a generalist across all the fields of HR and OD or as a specialist. The foundation you receive in measurement and analytics as well as making sound decisions based on the data is applicable to any practitioner regardless of discipline."

Amber (Boyles) Harrison '09

"The two years I spent in this program led to friendships that will last a lifetime and memories that will never fade. The success I've experienced so far in my career, I owe to the program and the faculty that prepared me for the real world!"

Elma Dostovic '12

"I am so thankful for my time at Appalachian State, and for the opportunities that the IOHRM program afforded me. The faculty are top notch and treat students as colleagues. Through my coursework, I gained an appreciation for the significance of my profession. The application of this knowledge during my internship and practicum experiences helped to prepare me for my current role and beyond."

Amanda Eberhardt '14

"Being part of the IOHRM program at Appalachian State was a remarkable experience. I received terrific guidance and mentoring from my professors in both the psychology and business areas of my coursework. The coursework was challenging but enriching, and I grew in both my appreciation and understanding for the I/O discipline within psychology. All my classes gave me opportunity to 'test' what I was learning, be it in doing deep research or in actually applying my learning real time in local businesses. The thesis and internship process were both enriching in that I was able to see how my training would apply in a real job, and also see if doing academic research would be a career I'd want to pursue. And as I've stayed connected to my peers and the program, I've seen that the alumni network from the IOHRM program is out there doing awesome work. I feel fortunate to say that I was a part of this tremendous program."

Andrew Smith '08

"What we have on our resume is not specific classes we take, it is the degree we have. Therefore, when applying for an HR position, having the HRM part on the resume will make it more relevant for a person who doesn't know what courses are taken in a given program."

Yalcin Acikgoz ‘13

"The coursework and experience with client-facing, applied projects equipped me with a solid foundation for succeeding in a corporate setting."

Danielle Kretschmer '15

"ASU’s I/O program provided me with access to peers, teachers and resources from two different colleges. The result was more developmental opportunities and a breadth of perspective that I may have missed had I attended a more traditional I/O program."

Brett Cooksey

"It only took seeing the curriculum and meeting the program director for me to know that ASU's IOHRM program would fully prepare me to begin a career with all of the tools I will need to be successful."

Kate Thompson ‘14