Program History
I/O Psychology at Penn State has a long and prestigious tradition. Dr. Bruce V. Moore, the first person in the US to receive a PhD in the field, joined the Penn State faculty in 1921 and built a strong program. To this day the home of the Department of Psychology is the Bruce V. Moore Building.
Prominent academic and consultant Frank Landy joined in 1969 and helped to establish our strong program. Jim Farr joined in 1971, and Rick Jacobs joined in 1979. This strong base was complemented with Susan J. Simkins (formerly Mohammed) (1996), Alicia Grandey (1999), and James LeBreton (2013). The faculty are recognized not just in terms of research productivity but have also received national organizational awards and provide strong leadership.
Cultural Traditions
End of Semester Party
Every semester, I/O graduate students and faculty come together to celebrate with one another. Different labs take turns planning and organizing each party. This gives us a chance to work as a team, building cohesion, while also allowing us to have fun spending time with the entire program.
SIOP Alumni Reception
At the annual Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology conference each spring, Penn State University hosts a reception for students, faculty, alumni, and invited friends of the program. The reception, which is planned by Penn State graduate students and funded by alumni and practicum funds, allows the Penn State I/O community to get together, catch up, and stay in touch, and is always a highlight of conference weekend.
Service Award
One of the best aspects of Penn State’s I/O program is the people, and we firmly believe that the people make the place. Each February graduate students nominate fellow graduate students whom they believe serve our program best, through informal advising, program leadership, or other OCBs. The winner from the prior year identifies the persons with the most nominations, and the faculty recognize these persons at our annual SIOP reception with a plaque, as well as a gift certificate to a local restaurant.
Service to the Community
Our students serve the IO program by volunteering for Service Chair roles, examples of I/O committees to be chaired are: Graduate Recruitment, Alumni Relations, and Public Relations, among others.
The IO students give back to the psychology department by mentoring undergraduates in labs, and providing departmental talks on graduate school expectations and selection.
