As the academic year comes to a close, the IOHRM program is proud to celebrate a major milestone: All of our second-year students have successfully defended their theses or completed their final oral comprehensive exams.
The students who took the oral comprehensive exam devoted over a month to intensive preparation, reviewing coursework, integrating knowledge across domains, and sharpening their ability to think critically and respond in real time. Throughout this process, many students came together for group study sessions, supporting one another, sharing insights, and building confidence as a cohort. This collaborative effort not only strengthened their preparation but also reflects the strong sense of community within the IOHRM program. Their efforts resulted in every student in the cohort passing their exams on their first attempts!
On the other hand, those who completed their theses took their projects to the finish line after months of research activities and writing. Below are just a few of the impactful thesis topics our students explored:
- Brenna McNamara examined how trainer characteristics—specifically gender and status (professor vs. student)—influence outcomes of sexual harassment prevention training for young workers.
- Claire Parson explored how psychological safety shapes identity management strategies among employees with invisible disabilities, and how factors such as anticipated stigma and disability identity influence authenticity at work.
- Madalyn Stephens investigated workplace hazing, focusing on how hazing experiences affect organizational commitment and perceptions of group cohesion.
- Drew Sipe studied neurodivergent employees’ workplace accommodations and how these accommodations impact employee experiences and outcomes.
These projects represent the depth, relevance, and impact of research conducted within our program. Their work highlights the meaningful, applied research that defines the IOHRM program and contributes to advancing the fields of human resource management and industrial-organizational psychology. We look forward to celebrating our students’ achievements at the upcoming Hooding Ceremony and are excited to see the many ways they will continue to make a difference in their careers and organizations.
