Celebrating Five Years of GMU's I/ON Newsletter
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Volume 6.1 March 2002 Department of Psychology I/ON: The Official Newsletter of the I/O Program http://www.gmu.edu/org/iopsa Celebrating Five Years of Comprehending GMU’s I/ON Newsletter: A Comprehensive Exams: Look Back A Survey of I/O Psychology By W. Benjamin Porr Programs’ Comprehensive Exam Sitting down for the IOPSA Procedures & Practices meeting on graduate student By Lisa Boyce, Tara Carpenter, and Kara Incalcaterra orientation day was an uncomfortable feeling. I am How knowledgeable are you of other I/O programs’ not a sociable person when I comprehensive exam procedures? am placed in unfamiliar settings. I sat patiently and If you answered “not very”, you are not alone. Nearly half of all anxiously listening to every I/O psychologists graduating from an I/O psychology graduate word about the I/O program. Then a topic came up that piqued program in the U.S. are required to successfully complete my interest. As described to me, the I/ON newsletter was a tool comprehensive exams (SIOP, 2000). Yet, nearly 50 percent of in which George Mason University’s I/O program communicated the academicians, practitioners, and students surveyed last year with present and past students, while informing the business and indicated that they had no knowledge of comprehensive exam academic world of the developments of the program. It was procedures in programs in which they have no affiliation. As a remarkable, most of the incoming class at that orientation signed result, there appears to be a strong need within the general I/O up to volunteer for the newsletter. At the time most of us did not community to systematically characterize comprehensive exam fully understand the history and hard work it took to produce the practices and procedures. This data could yield several practical newsletter. benefits, including informing faculty members' decisions First, let me give some general background on the I/ON. The (see “Comprehensive Exams” page 14) I/ON is distributed three times a year (August, November, and March). The I/ON is edited and produced by GMU’s I/O graduate students (both M.A. and Ph.D.). It is currently distributed to 500+ people, including current students, faculty, alumni, and friends Table of Contents (both academic and applied) across the United States; and even several colleagues in Canada and Great Britain! History of the I/ON . 1, 12-13 Comprehending Comprehensive Exams . 1, 14-17 Now for some history…The very first issue of the I/ON was produced in May 1997 with then doctoral student, Marisa Diana A Word from the Editor . 2 (now Dr. Diana) as editor, and financial resources provided by What's New at GMU? . 2 Dr. Richard Klimoski. Marisa and Dr. Klimoski wanted to IOPSA Action . 2-3 promote communication within the program. Additionally, they sought to share with students varying perspectives on issues Fifth Annual GMU SIOP Reception . 3 relating to the field of I/O. The inaugural issue was six-pages in Who's Who at GMU? . 3-4 length. Dr. Klimoski and Wendy Casper set the tone by each Distinguished Alumni Award 2002: writing a column on their experiences at SIOP. Dr. Jose Dr. Debbie Whetzel . 4 Cortina, being his usual inimitable self, made an imprint in that issue as well. He demonstrated how the newsletter could be an Surviving the Proposal Defense . 5 important communication tool as long as the students are Spotlight on...Dr. Paul Bliese . 5-6 involved, but reminded us that “all business and no play” makes Navigating Course Electives . 7 an uninterested and bored Jose. Throughout the years, Dr. Cortina has traded barbs (in humor, of course) with former GMU GMU SIOP Presentations . 8-10 faculty member, Dr. Stan Gully (currently at Rutgers University), Wondering About Toronto, Eh? . 11-12 Dr. Steve Zaccaro, and, yes, even George W. Bush, Jr. How Employers Defend Invalid Tests . 17-18 In that first issue Marisa wrote a column that I’d like to share with Partners in Education: GMU’s SOM . 19 you. “We hope you enjoy your first issue of the I/O Network A Word from Our Alumni: newsletter (I/ON). The I/ON is an idea generated by the graduate Dianne Brown Maranto & students of the I/O Psychology Department, and is designed to Dave Thornton . 20-21 ‘connect’ our colleagues within the department, that is, the Alumni Updates . 21 students and faculty alike. This newsletter is a medium through IOPSA Brown Bag Series-Spring 2002 . 21 (see "I/ON" page 12) Friends and Supporters . 22-23 2 I/ON – GMU’s I/O Network A Word from the Editor What’s New at GMU? By Mike Ingerick By Sidney Fisher Salutations everyone and welcome to another issue of GMU’s Major renovations have been made to the IOPSA website! You I/ON newsletter! First off, I would like to make several can check out the new website at: www.gmu.edu/org/iopsa. Feel announcements. As evident from the front page, the newsletter free to add a link to the site on your personal webpage, or to is celebrating its fifth anniversary. Yes, it’s been five years! As share the new site’s address with friends and colleagues. Kudos part of the I/ON’s history, I would like to thank all of the students, to Patrick Fleming, Chelsey Hibbard, Mike Ingerick, W. Ben alumni, faculty, and friends who have contributed their time and Porr, and Janet Yun for their hard work on the website. In talents to the I/ON newsletter over the years. I think I speak for addition, a special thanks to Gonzalo Ferro, Brian Holtz, Dr. everyone involved in the I/ON (past and present), when I say that Rob Ployhart, and Luciano Viera, Jr, for contributing content we look forward to seeing the newsletter continue to prosper and and/or feedback on the new website during its development. grow in coming years. Over the years, the I/ON has fostered Also, thanks to all the faculty and students who contributed ideas connections among current students, faculty, and alumni, as well and input on the new website. I think you will agree, the new as connecting our program to the larger I/O community. I fully website looks great! expect that to continue, and encourage everyone to take advantage of the newsletter as an outlet for maintaining (and In computer-related news, a common lab area with five Pentium extending) these connections. Ten years, here we come! (IIs-IIIs) computers has been set-up in the Robinson Hall labs (Room 213). Additionally, a new HP LaserJet printer has been Second big announcement, I would like to introduce everyone to purchased for the lab. In the near future, all computers will be the incoming editor, W. Ben Porr. Ben will be taking over as networked to the printer, so that students can print from any of I/ON editor starting with the August issue. Ben is a first year the computers. The lab area is open to all students in the I/O Masters student, who was recently accepted to our Doctoral program. program. I can think of few people to better pass on the I/ON editorship to. Please join me in welcoming and congratulating Going to SIOP this year? A quick reminder that the (final) Ben. deadline for applying to the Graduate Student Travel Fund for the 2001-2002 academic year is April 26th. Information and Third (and final) big announcement, IOPSA recently renovated application forms can be found at the following website, its website. You can check it out at: www.gmu.edu/org/iopsa. In www.gmu.edu/org/gstf. Both Masters and Doctoral students addition to receiving a “facelift”, new content (including pictures) attending professional conferences are eligible to apply. has been added to the website. Most directly related to the I/ON, you can now download recent issues of the newsletter, as well The end of the semester is fastly approaching! Hard to believe as find acknowledgments of our Friends and Supporters. If you but the Spring semester is drawing to a close. As you are have any suggestions, feel free to send them to [email protected]. working on your term papers/class projects, keep in mind these We will be more than happy to hear your ideas. important dates: Theses and Dissertations As for highlights, in this issue you will find: a brief history of the due in the library for I/ON newsletter (see page 1); a report by Lisa Boyce, Tara May 2002 graduation May 3rd Carpenter, and Kara Incalcaterra on comprehensive exam Last Day of Classes May 6th procedures and practices in I/O psychology (see page 1); Reading Day May 7th observations from Dr. Lance Seberhagen on how organizations Exam Period May 8th-May 16th defend invalid tests with adverse impact (see page 17); the latest Convocation May 16th IOPSA-related news from President Crystal Harold (this page); Commencement May 18th an announcement regarding our upcoming SIOP reception (see page 3); details on this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award Important graduation information can be found on the Registrar’s winner, Dr. Debbie Whetzel (see page 4); a spotlight on Dr. website at: www.registrar.gmu.edu/grad/graduation.html. Paul Bliese (see pages 5); tips on choosing course electives Congratulations to all our graduating Master and Doctoral outside of I/O (see page 7); a listing of our many contributions to students! SIOP 2002 (see pages 8-10); a guide to Toronto, site of the upcoming SIOP conference (see page 11); and words of wisdom from two of our Masters’ alumni, Diane Brown Maranto and Dave Thornton (see page 20).