News Articles 2023 Article: The Impact of the IOMP Experience on Dr. Beth Duggan's Medical Career Alumni Spotlights Makayla Greathouse (2015 Graduate) Current Job: Founder and CEO at Elevate Intent What do you do in your current job that is relevant to your I-O education? I apply several of the skills I learned in the IOMP program on an ongoing basis. Specifically, I drive talent management, performance management, culture, communications, learning and development programming and assessments. What specific experiences in the program do you think have been most valuable to you so far in your career? The competency modeling class in the IOMP has served me in multiple organizations now and I still refer to the resources we were given in that class. How has your IOMP experience helped you to advance your career? My experience in the IOMP has been invaluable for my career. The knowledge and skills I gained in the program have helped me to become a trusted adviser in the workplace. It has helped to improve both my business acumen and my approach in planning and executing projects. Frances Larson (2016 Graduate) Current Job: Corporate Director, Learning & Development at Emory Healthcare What do you do in your current job that is relevant to your I-O education? In my current job I am responsible for our talent management and performance management practices for 24,000 employees across 11 hospitals, the Emory Clinic and more than 250 provider locations. I partner with the business to retain employees, coach leaders, drive team effectiveness, build succession, and grow a culture with strong career development and supportive, regular feedback. All of my work is based on underlying I-O principles. What specific experiences in the program do you think have been most valuable to you so far in your career? The most useful learnings I gained from the program came from three specific classes: Competency Modeling, Testing and Assessment, and Organizational Research Methods. From these courses my technical skills were increased to make me a better leader. After having these courses, I find I am a better partner to the business and have been able to add a level of science into HR practices that may not have been there before. How has your IOMP experience helped you to advance your career? My career has grown by leaps and bounds since I started the journey of gathering my master’s degree through UGA. I started my career as an employee support specialist, and then as a talent development coordinator in a learning and development team. I have grown my career over the years to leading Talent and Performance practices for large, successful organizations. My ability to become the leader I am today was greatly supported by the credibility and knowledge built from this degree. The value I add from the scientific principles and experiences of this program, matched with my experience on the job, makes me an even stronger partner to the business. The wonderful network I have built from the UGA IO program has also been immensely rewarding and supportive. Alissa Manolescu (2017 Graduate) Current Job: Director, Leadership Development at idealis. What do you do in your current job that is relevant to your I-O education? From building competency models for internal and external clients, to writing white papers addressing the link between pay and performance, to measuring teamwork processes in cybersecurity operations centers, my I-O education informs much of what I do as a human capital consultant. I am frequently called upon to provide I-O subject matter expertise on various projects, so even the more theoretical components of the program have proven to be highly relevant to my work. What specific experiences in the program do you think have been most valuable to you so far in your career? The applied nature of the program – the ability to practice hands-on what we learned in the classroom – was the most valuable aspect, but the opportunity to build a meaningful network with my cohort and professors has also been of great benefit both personally and professionally. How has your IOMP experience helped you to advance your career? I worked in Testing & Assessment in my previous career, but wanted to move into the Human Capital/Talent space. Through the MA program at UGA, I was able to successfully pivot into a role as a Talent Management consultant, and then to my current role in Human Capital consulting. I would not have gotten my current job had it not been for my MA in I-O, nor would I have been so successful without the education the MAIOP program imparted. Athar Naseer (2017 Graduate) Current Job: Director, Talent & Culture at Veritiv Current job title, organization, and a short description of the type of work you are doing regularly in this role. I lead enterprise talent development and culture work focused on building organizational capability and driving performance. My role centers on designing and executing core talent systems and intentionally shaping the employee experience through performance management, succession planning, leadership development, organizational learning, and engagement, with a strong emphasis on alignment to business strategy and measurable outcomes. I partner closely with senior leaders and HR teams to translate organizational research and data into practical, scalable solutions, and I regularly leverage technology and analytics to strengthen decision making and the employee experience. Why did you decide to join the UGA IOMP? What were you doing before starting the program? I began my career on the administrative side of the healthcare sector before deciding to pivot into I‑O psychology. While working for a large healthcare organization, I was struck by a persistent tension: many healthcare professionals find deep meaning in caring for patients, yet often experience burnout and low organizational engagement. Through that experience, I discovered an entire field dedicated to understanding and addressing these and other organizational human capital challenges. From my first day in the UGA I/O Master's Program, I knew I had found my career calling. How has the IOMP helped you accelerate or change your career? The IOMP helped me both change my career and accelerate it. Reinventing myself professionally was not easy, but the program's applied projects allowed me to bring real work back into my organization and demonstrate immediate value. That experience made it possible for me to transition from healthcare administration into an HR role. Throughout my career, my training as an I‑O practitioner has provided a strong foundation of skills, research‑driven rigor, and a pragmatic lens I continue to rely on. The IOMP taught me how to think like a practitioner. While research, theory, and trends evolve, the ability to diagnose organizational challenges, learn quickly, and lead change has stayed with me. What are some ways that you have used the knowledge, skills, or lessons you learned in the IOMP in your work? One of the most valuable lessons I took from the IOMP was learning agility. I learned how to quickly digest large amounts of research and data, then translate technical findings into clear, actionable insights for non‑technical audiences. Being able to frame culture, development, and talent challenges in a way that resonates with business leaders has been critical to gaining buy‑in and driving change. What advice do you have for someone considering the IOMP? If you are already considering the IOMP, take the leap. Whether you are early in your career, changing paths, or looking to deepen your impact in your current role, an I/O education will expand how you think about organizations and people. As AI and technology continue to reshape work, there will always be a need for practitioners who can blend human insight with data to help leaders make informed decisions and support talent in meaningful ways. Parker Thomas (2018 Graduate) Current job title, organization, and type of work regularly performed in this role. I work at Google as a Senior People Analyst. I support recruiting strategic initiatives and serve as the technical lead for the recruiting analytics team. As technical lead, I’m responsible for setting the standards for metric definitions and methods utilized when analyzing recruiting data for the company. My work encompasses measurement across the life-cycle of process changes - including the development of measurement plans, enabling the monitoring of change proliferation and impact over time, and assessing the efficacy of the change overall to inform leadership decisions to scale the change (or not). Why did you decide to join the UGA IOMP? What were you doing before starting the program? Prior to the IOMP, I was an HR Specialist working at the University of Georgia. I knew I wanted to advance my career into analytics, and I thought that the IOMP offered coursework anchored in scientific rigor and real world experience delivering projects for actual companies. That combination was exactly what I was looking for. How has the IOMP helped you accelerate or change your career? The knowledge I picked up in the IOMP accelerated my career substantially. During my time in the program, I transferred into the position management team at the University and was able to apply the structured process of job analysis in my day-to-day work. Once I demonstrated the value of what I was learning from the program, I was able to ramp into more complex systems migration and integration projects. That work, in combination with the statistics and assessment development courses, showed me that working in a technical environment was quite fulfilling for me. In terms of outcomes, I went from an entry level HR specialist at the University of Georgia to a Senior Analyst at Google. It’s not entirely due to the program alone, but my growth has absolutely been enabled by the “what” and “how” I picked up from the IOMP. What are some ways that you have used the knowledge, skills, or lessons you learned in the IOMP in your work? Analytical reasoning and an emphasis on evidence-backed action are the two skills I use most often. I provide regular consultation to business leaders, equipping them with evidence needed to make data-driven decisions. That often involves synthesizing large, complex datasets into a clear narrative or set of insights, and being able to explain that methodology in a way that demonstrate rigor without overwhelming. What advice do you have for someone considering the IOMP? Do it. The faculty are amazing, the course content is top tier, and the hands-on experience with real world companies is invaluable. Ted Kiniry (2021 Graduate) Current job title, organization, and type of work regularly performed in this role. Senior Consultant, Leadership & Organizational Development Practice - FMI Corporation We work exclusively with companies in the 'Built Environment' (most notably Construction, Engineering & Architecture firms). My primary focus the last several years has been around Succession Planning, Construction Mega Project Team Development and Executive Team Development Why did you decide to join the UGA IOMP? What were you doing before starting the program? I like to tell people I "googled my way" into the IOMP. For about 10 years I was in the construction equipment rental business and started to recognize things in companies, individual leaders, and construction project teams that separated the mediocre from the good from the great. I started researching things like "what kind of job works on things like this?" and over time found the field of I/O, and soon after the UGA IOMP. How has the IOMP helped you accelerate or change your career? When I tell people what I did before my current job they almost always ask "how did you make that move?" and my answer starts and ends with the UGA IOMP. It gave me the skills and experiences to completely change my career without having to start back at entry level. What are some ways that you have used the knowledge, skills, or lessons you learned in the IOMP in your work? My current work has a near perfect overlap with the skills and lessons I learned in the IOMP. I use the skills and thinking on a daily basis. I think the most broad thing I learned is how to apply research backed frameworks and thinking to real world challenges and how to communicate those ideas in a way that is digestible to Executives and Front Line leaders at companies of all shapes & sizes. What advice do you have for someone considering the IOMP? Like all great things, the IOMP falls in the category of "you get out what you put in." For me, I had a pretty clear vision of where I wanted to be at the end of the program and that helped me focus my attention, choose the right courses and build the right connections that have supported me in my current role. In the spirit of "beginning with the end in mind" I feel that people will get the most of out of the program if they have some conviction about where they want to be at the end. Rachel (Roller) Snyder (2022 Graduate) Current Job Title: Employee Experience Analyst at EnerSys. What do you do in your current job that is relevant to your I-O education? Everything! My role focuses on measuring the employee experience and identifying areas for improvement. I am responsible for our annual engagement survey and onboarding and exit survey programs. I manage the entire process, from developing the items to collecting responses and delivering insights to leaders. I also lead a project team developing a competency model focused on leadership behaviors to improve our selection and performance management processes. What specific experiences in the program do you think have been most valuable to you so far in your career? The project-based work we did with real organizations has been the most valuable to me following graduation. It highlights the challenges of applying the concepts in an organization while learning best practices from theory. Having practical experience conducting a job analysis, building a training program, or designing a hiring process makes you an exciting candidate if you are changing careers or entering a new field. How has your IOMP experience helped you to advance your career? The IOMP played a huge role in helping me transition from higher education to people analytics. I didn't fully understand what people analytics was before my IOMP experience. After taking the People Analytics elective, I knew it was the field for me. It provided me with a deep skill set for analyzing people data and deriving actionable insights. I wouldn't be in my current role or have the same positive impact on my organization without my IOMP experience. Davida Smart (2022 Graduate) Current Job Title: Lead People Analytics Analyst at DocuSign. Founding Member & External Outreach Chair at the Society for People Analytics (SPA) What do you do in your current job that is relevant to your I-O education? I apply my I-O training in advanced analytics and research methods to my daily work as a Senior People Analytics Analyst, where I manage all aspects of People Analytics operations, including system administration, full-cycle implementation, data governance, and change management. My responsibilities include integrating disparate data sources, optimizing operational workflows, and developing metrics, dimensions, and attributes for use in dashboards to analyze trends in people data. This allows our People Analytics team and clients to tell stories using people data to drive business outcomes, effect organizational change, improve performance, and foster a supportive workplace culture at DocuSign. Additionally, I serve as a Senior People Analytics Consultant, where I deliver data-driven insights, and recommendations to support DocuSign's Global talent strategy and programs. My education in Industrial-Organizational Psychology has provided me with a unique skill set, enabling me to combine research methods, analytics, and organizational theory to enhance the employee experience. This enables me to translate complex data into actionable recommendations that drive strategic decision-making and positive organizational change. What specific experiences in the program do you think have been most valuable to you so far in your career? One of the most impactful aspects of the program was the hands-on experience I gained in diagnosing organizational issues and proposing solutions through project-based assignments and real-world simulations. The quarterly projects not only helped me apply theory directly to my work in People Analytics, but they also helped me build the skill of communicating effectively with stakeholders using data-driven, research-backed recommendations. Furthermore, the program's diverse curriculum has shaped my career by covering a wide range of topics. Courses in advanced analytics and organizational research methods equipped me with the skills to proficiently utilize statistical tools like R for data analysis. Additionally, the knowledge gained in areas such as diversity, talent development, and talent acquisition has been invaluable in comprehending workplace dynamics and applying HR analytics across different functional areas.The IOMP equipped me with invaluable research and analytical skills essential to my career in People Analytics. The combination of hands-on experience and comprehensive coursework has enabled me to contribute meaningfully to organizational success. How has your IOMP experience helped you to advance your career? The IOMP played a pivotal role in accelerating my career trajectory. Having previously worked as a Human Resource Generalist, I encountered challenges in advancing professionally. However, my enrollment in the program proved to be a game-changer. Within just a year of starting the program, I secured a graduate internship in People Analytics, leveraging the project-based experience and research methods coursework I gained. This opportunity propelled me into a People Analytics Analyst role shortly after graduation. The hands-on projects and rigorous coursework provided by the program equipped me with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in my new role. I am deeply grateful to Dr. Frost and the exceptional faculty who not only prepared me to apply my learnings effectively but also provided unwavering support and encouragement throughout my journey. My IOMP experience served as a catalyst for my career growth, allowing me to transition into a specialized field and advance swiftly within it. I credit much of my success to the program and the invaluable guidance of its faculty. Shannon Gordon Current Job: Human Capital Senior Consultant at Deloitte, Government & Public Services practice Current job title, organization, and a short description of the type of work you are doing regularly in this role. I am a Human Capital Senior Consultant at Deloitte within the Government & Public Services practice. I help organizations navigate workforce and organizational transformation by developing strategies that improve employee experiences, drive change adoption, and support business and technology modernization efforts. Why did you decide to join the UGA IOMP? What were you doing before starting the program? I joined the UGA IOMP because it was the perfect intersection of psychology and business. I was drawn to the science of understanding people and wanted to apply those insights to help organizations navigate change and improve performance. Before the program, I had earned my Psychology degree from Clark Atlanta University and was helping support my family's business while working part-time in retail. An IOMP alumnus and former professor encouraged me to explore the program, and it ultimately changed my career trajectory. How has the IOMP helped you accelerate or change your career? The IOMP provided the foundation that helped me transition from studying psychology to solving real-world business challenges. The program strengthened my analytical, consulting, and leadership skills, helping me build a career in organizational transformation and ultimately leading me to Deloitte. Just as valuable were the relationships I built, many of my cohort members remain friends, colleagues, and trusted members of my professional network today. What advice do you have for someone considering the IOMP? If you're passionate about people and curious about how organizations work, the IOMP is an incredible investment in your future. Take advantage of the opportunity to connect science with practice, build relationships with your cohort, and apply what you learn outside the classroom. You may be surprised where the journey takes you. I certainly never imagined that a psychology student helping with a family business and working retail would one day be advising organizations on workforce transformation at Deloitte, but the IOMP helped make that path possible.
