Support for Professional Development
HumRRO encourages and fosters continual staff development as evidenced by our support of attendance at professional conferences, participation in courses to enhance technical knowledge, and internal training on various workplace issues.
Staff members participate annually at conferences conducted by the American Psychological Association, American Educational Research Association [AERA], and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, just to name a few. Each year, numerous HumRRO scientists present professional papers at those conferences, thereby enhancing both individual and organizational reputations. Moreover, our scientists serve as elected officers of professional societies as well as participate on various society committees (e.g., program, workshops, strategic planning).
In addition, HumRRO conducts professional “summits” for our staff as a way to improve overall knowledge and capability in a given area. For example, in 2009, we sponsored an Education Summit to consider ways to increase HumRRO’s visibility in the education community. Discussions focused on current issues in educational accountability and assessment at both the Federal and state levels as well as the possible development of common curricula and standards across states. Summit participants also prepared proposals for submission to major education conferences (e.g., American Educational Research Association , National Council on Measurement in Education). Such proposal preparation proved successful with several HumRRO staff members being selected to present at meetings of AERA and the National Conference on Student Assessments sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers. Additional summits in areas such as Strategic Human Capital Management also are being considered.
HumRRO also conducts annual company-wide planning conferences. In 2009, 45 staff members from our various offices (Alexandria, Virginia; Monterey, California; Louisville and Radcliff, Kentucky; and Lawrenceville, New Jersey) attended a two-day planning meeting held in Alexandria. With a theme of “Moving HumRRO Forward: Enhancing Our Capabilities,” the meeting had four goals – (a) review our business development activities, (b) enhance our outreach marketing skills to grow our project portfolios, (c) focus on individual staff development through mentoring sessions with our corporate officers, and (d) strengthen our knowledge management system by discussing types of information and procedures for future knowledge management initiatives. Subsequent to the meeting, corporate officers reviewed the viability of the many topics/issues discussed and developed implementation strategies for those most promising based on their short-term and long-term implications.
Another way HumRRO contributes to science is through two professional development programs for promising graduate students. First is the Meredith P. Crawford Fellowship in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Named for HumRRO’s founder and first president, the fellowship includes a one-time award of $12,000 to a doctoral student demonstrating exceptional research skills. The recipient is required to remain enrolled in the doctoral program, progress satisfactorily towards dissertation completion, and present his or her research during a visit to HumRRO. Frequently, this visit with HumRRO scientists leads to a lasting professional relationship that ferments creative and collaborative research. In addition, the recipient is encouraged to present his or her research at the annual conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
To be eligible for fellowship consideration, the graduate student must be a doctoral candidate whose dissertation has been proposed and approved by his or her graduate faculty in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, or in a closely-related field. Because one of the purposes of the fellowship is to provide financial support during completion of the dissertation, the graduate student must have one year remaining in the doctoral program and be actively involved in the research process. Winners of the Meredith P. Crawford Fellowship are truly “superstars” in the making.
The second professional development opportunity for budding young scientists is HumRRO’s internship program. Each year, HumRRO offers summer internships to graduate students in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Educational Measurement and Assessment, and Human Capital Management. The traditional internship at HumRRO is for three months; however, a 6 to 12-month internship will be considered. Our internship is a paid, full-time opportunity, available to master’s and doctoral-level students, that provides promising young people with the chance to work under the direction and supervision of senior HumRRO scientists.
