News and Updates

New Organizational Psychology Faculty: Dr. Dorothy Carter

The Michigan State University psychology department welcomes new faculty member Dorothy Carter, Ph.D. to their organizational psychology program. Dr. Carter, who earned her Ph.D. at Georgia Institute of Technology in 2016, specializes in leadership, teamwork, and the future of work.

“Whether it is collaborating with other people in virtual environments, interfacing with robots and other forms of artificial intelligence, or rapidly assembling into temporary and dynamic organizations to tackle huge challenges such as a global pandemic or a natural disaster, teaming effectively across space and time is a vital skill for succeeding in the workplaces of today and tomorrow,” said Dr. Carter.

P&G Business Challenge Invites Org Psych Ph.D. Student

For 18 years, Procter & Gamble (P&G) has invited organizational psychology graduate students to a weeklong challenge to address problems they face as a business. Michigan State University psychology graduate student, Nathan Baker, will be taking part this year.

Starting September 26th, Baker and nine other graduate students will meet at Procter & Gamble’s headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. They will be given a real business challenge on the first day, and as a team they will investigate the problem, apply their skills and education, and recommend a solution. Potential challenges could address employee selection, employee experience, diversity and inclusion, leadership development, change management, or any other area that Proctor & Gamble’s organizational psychologists face.

Read more about Nathan and this challenge here.

Meet a Psychology Spartan: Jacob Bradburn

Jacob Bradburn earned a PhD in Organizational Psychology in 2020. Shortly before graduating, he began working for Ford Motor Company as a People Scientist. Jacob sat down with us recently to talk about his time at MSU, what a People Scientist does, and how his program prepared him to make a difference in the workplace.

Read the Q&A with Jacob here.

Organizational Psychologist Kevin Hoff Joins Faculty

The Michigan State University psychology department welcomes new faculty member Kevin Hoff, Ph.D. to their organizational psychology program. Dr. Hoff, who earned his doctorate from the University of Illinois, comes most recently from the University of Houston. Dr. Hoff’s research specializes in careers, vocational interests, personality, and the future of work.

“The organizational psychology program at MSU has a rich history of doing great research, while also giving back and being a leader in the field,” said Dr. Hoff. “I’ve felt very welcomed already into the program and am excited to be here.”

Quinetta Roberson has been appointed to MSU Federal Credit Union's Board of Directors. Congratulations, Dr. Roberson!

Congratulations to Dr. Ann Marie Ryan, who received the 2022 Graduate School Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award!

The selection committee communicated the following in making their selection:

"Dr. Ryan has a sustained history of more than 25 years of excellence and leadership in improving graduate education and mentoring her own graduate students and those throughout the Michigan State University community. Because of these efforts, Dr. Ryan has been recognized over the years for her mentoring and teaching including being the recipient of the 2018 Raymond Fowler Award from the American Psychological Association which is given to one of >100,000 members for their outstanding contributions to the professional development of students. One of her students said that although Dr. Ryan is a world class scholar, she 'talks to her students as if she were learning from us.' Her past and current mentees feel 'a profound sense of kinship': when they meet, they 'often talk about being raised with her ideals of conducting rigorous scholarship, leading with integrity and ethics, and championing values of excellence and inclusion.'

As emphasized in Dr. Ryan’s nomination package, perhaps one of her most notable achievements in graduate student mentoring and professional development has been her demonstrated commitment to inclusive mentoring, an area in which she has also been recognized through national research awards. As a result of these efforts, the diverse group of graduate students she has mentored have gone on to be successful professionals in numerous career trajectories, including leadership at top corporations and leading HR consulting organizations. Dr Ryan’s contributions to shaping her field have also been recognized by receipt of the Michael R. Losey Excellence in Research Award (2021) from the Society for Human Resource management, which honors lifetime achievement in human resource research, recognizing significant past and ongoing research contributions that impact the HR management field."

Department of Psychology College of Social Science