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.
Maddy Blazer & Lucy Zhang, PhD Students
Canadian Psychological Association
Conference, Toronto, June 2023