GRADUATE
STUDENTS
If you are thinking about
working with me, I am
assuming you have
interests in Industrial-
Organizational Psychology.
This is good. It is an
interesting field of study
and an area of psychology
that embraces a Scientist-
Practitioner model.
However, please make
sure you are familiar with our program before
applying. It is not a dedicated I-O program:
Organizational Psychology is only one of two
speciality areas in the Applied Social Psychology
program. The other speciality is Community/Health
Psychology. Our students take courses in
community and health psychology–even if they will
primarily do research in one area. We have an
enriching program where you will get diverse
training from multiple perspectives.
Your research responsibilities
Most of my research occurs outside of a lab,
so if you choose to work with me, you will in
all likelihood be doing some field research.
Nevertheless, you will also have access to the
Occupational Health and Well-Being Research
lab facilities. I will not assign a research topic
to you, but the topic you pursue must be
consistent with my research interests if I am to
be of any use to you.
As you become more senior, my expectation is
that you will assume some responsibility for
developing your junior colleagues. Most of
this will be in an informal manner, and
consists mainly of sharing whatever wisdom
you have gained in your years at graduate
school (or other pertinent experiences).
Fundamentally, what I look for in a graduate
student, apart from scholastic achievement (a
membership in Mensa doesn’t hurt), is a
person seeking collaboration–not just with
me–but with their colleagues.
Finally, at this stage in your educational
career, it is time to embrace ambiguity,
abstraction, paradox, and the mutability of
knowledge. If you seek hard and fast rules,
templates for all occasions, or a parental
figure that will answer your every question,
you might want to find another advisor. I
learn from students and their research every
bit as much as they learn from me.