Past & Future
Alumni Connections
'What you know' is essential to professional development but, as that old saying says, 'who you know' matters too. When current I-O students need some practical advice regarding their current studies or of their professional futures, the best suggestions often come from people who have gone down their path before. Current students and faculty strive to maintain a strong connection with ODU alumni via social media (e.g., LinkedIn, Google Groups). We make coordinate several guest speaker presentations each year with alumni and other connections in the field of I-O. We, with the help of ODU's I-O faculty, also organize an annual alumni get-together at the SIOP conference with all ODU students, past and present.
These events provide a comfortable environment for students to network with I-O professionals who have been in their shoes and are eager to share their candid experiences. Every year, current I-O students return from our alumni event glowing with valuable insight on potential career paths, internship and job opportunities, and perhaps most importantly, connections with potential mentors in the field of I-O.
Connecting with a Recent Grad
Dante Myers '18
Dante Myers graduated from ODU's I-O Ph.D. program in 2018 and worked in people analytics, listening, and research at BlackRock at the time of the interview. Dante now works as a Director of Employee Listening of People Analytics at Microsoft. Current ODU students interviewed him one year after he graduated to ask questions about his graduate school experience and life after graduate school.
IOPSA Lunch n' Learns: Visiting I-O Professionals
As I-O psychology graduate students at ODU, we set ourselves up with extensive opportunities to learn about the field beyond what we learn in class and in our labs. Over the years, we’ve had many alumni, faculty, students, and other professionals in I-O present their work to IOPSA in lunch and learn form. Current students are encouraged to engage with speakers by asking questions about their current position, the most valuable knowledge and skills they gained in graduate school, how to succeed in academia or industry, and what they wish they had focused on when they were in graduate school.
Here are some descriptions of recent speakers:
- An alum who works at CodeSignal.
- An alum who is a people analytics leader at Nike.
- An associate professor and current chair of the Organizational Leadership department at Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW).
- An alum who is a psychology professor at local Christopher Newport University and a craft beer writer.
- A current student who studies clergy well-being.
- Personnel research psychologists from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
If you are interested in attending, please email IOPSA President, Christina Ju: cju004@odu.edu
Alumni Mentoring
"Being mentored by alumni had an extremely positive impact on my career. Not only did they show me multiple viable career paths, they also afforded me opportunities to participate in research, gain consulting experience and even helped me secure my first internship, which led to future employment opportunities."
"One of the best parts of my education at ODU was the opportunity to take what I learned and apply it while working with local companies and alumni. I stay connected with current ODU students to do my part to help their learning and to learn how the current generation is shaping our world of I/O."
"As a practitioner, it is both useful and enjoyable to connect with current students and alumni. I’ve found that nurturing that network pays dividends in the form of a great list of people to call when I need help thinking about a problem. I've had the privilege of continuing to present at SIOP with ODU colleagues from classes before and after mine, and have enjoyed opportunities to visit campus and share my experiences to help current students reflect on their career options."
Jobs After Graduation
For nearly 40 years, the ODU I/O program has produced top-notch scientist-practitioners. Listed below are just a few. The future is "Bright" for I/O psychology. Will you be part of it?
- Daroon Jalil '23, SHRM
- Seterra Burleson '23, CodeSignal
- Dante Myers '18, Nike
- Michael Litano, '17, BetterUp
- Benjamin Bass, '17, Mercer
- Michael "Bo" Armstrong, '17, Google
- Valerie Streets, '16, Infor
- Nathan Bjornberg, '17, Northrop Grumman
- Gargi Sawhney, '16, Auburn University
- Heather Bolen, ‘14, IBM
- Kristina Bauer, ‘13, Illinois Institute of Technology
- Valerie Morganson, ‘11, University of West Florida
- Kurt Oborn, ‘10, Target
- Jenny Kuang, ‘07, Pacific Gas & Electric Company
- Amy Fitzgibbons, ‘03, State Street
- Catherine Mergen, ‘98, AbbVie
- Brian Ruggeberg, ‘96, Aon Hewitt
- Diane Catanzaro, ‘92, Christopher Newport University
- Seth Zimmer, ‘90, AT&T
- John Mathieu, ‘85, University of Connecticut
- Eduardo Salas, ‘84, Rice University (former SIOP president)