Name
Melissa Keith
Position/Employer
Assistant Professor of I-O Psychology at Bowling Green State University
How long have you been a SIOP member?
13 years, current SIOP Member
What roles have you had within SIOP?
Electronic Communications Committee, Membership Committee, Travel and Graduate Student Scholarships Committees and most recently I am the chair of the APS Program Committee.
Interest area(s)
My primary research focus is on creativity, motivation, online samples in psychological research, and the gig economy, but I also like to dabble in other topics to keep things interesting and support interests of the graduate students I work with.
What sparked your interest in I-O psychology?
I am a people person and was very interested in psychology in high school. My parents (wisely) asked what I planned to do with a psychology degree. My dad had recently worked with an I-O psychologist when hiring a new office manager and recommended I look into the field. From there, I was hooked.
What role do you see I-O psychology playing in the future of work?
I-O psychology is more important than ever with the various changes that impact how and where we do work. I really appreciate the interdisciplinary research some of my colleagues do to better understand the role of technology in the workplace. I also really like the recent trend of expanding beyond our typical boundaries of I-O psychology. For example, there is a lot of exciting ongoing research that explores topics that were historically taboo such as how menopause and reproductive health impacts employees.
What work trends are you seeing and hearing about and how can I-O psychology practitioners, educators, and students impact these trends?
It isn’t a secret that we most often focus on white-collar work and do much less research with blue-collar work or alternative work arrangements (e.g., gig work, temporary work). This trend overlooks a significant and growing portion of the workforce, and more research is needed to understand whether many of our theoretical assumptions hold with work arrangements that are more precarious.
What advice would you give to students or those early in their career?
- Keep your mind and options open – you never know what topics will interest you.
- Stay humble and keep learning. Always ask questions and don’t be afraid of not knowing something.
- Grow your network and form connections with your colleagues in academia and applied settings.
What is one of your favorite SIOP Annual Conference memories/highlights?
Oh I have so many. During graduate school at Purdue, my friends and I used to cram as many people into a room as possible. One year, a friend even managed to bring an entire air mattress in her luggage. Now, we don’t all pack into a room. Instead, we have dinners at the SIOP Annual Conference to catch up on life and celebrate each other’s work and non-work successes.
Another highlight since joining the faculty at BGSU are the BGSU parties at the conference. I have great colleagues, and it is fun to catch up with alumni and friends of the program.
Please share one non-I-O-related bit of information about yourself.
I am a podcast enthusiast and spent 24,107 minutes listening to podcasts last year according to Spotify.
Is there anything you would like to add?
I have two kids, aged 1 and 3. My 3-year-old’s current favorite book is “My Mommy is an Organizational Psychologist” by Sevelyn J. Crosby. I think he likes knowing what I do at work all day.
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