SIOP’s Program Lineup for the 24th Annual Conference
John C. Scott
Program Chair, SIOP 2009 Conference
APT, Inc.
The 2009 SIOP conference program is shaping up to be one of the best ever! The Program Committee has worked tirelessly this past year to assemble an outstanding lineup of theme tracks, featured speakers, Friday Seminars, communities of interest, volunteer activities, and other special events. We also have some historic firsts for a SIOP conference, including invited addresses by the presidents of APA and SHRM as well as media coverage by Human Resource Executive Magazine. Add to this the hundreds of peer-reviewed sessions addressing I-O psychology research, practice, theory, and teaching-oriented content, and this is clearly a conference you will not want to miss.
Theme Tracks
This year’s two theme tracks, which will convene on Thursday and Saturday, will each provide a thought-provoking day of integrated programming designed to take a deep dive into critical issues that affect a broad range of SIOP members. Please see the articles by Denise Rousseau related to Thursday’s theme track (I-O Psychologists as the Vanguard of Evidence-Based Management) and Sara Wiener related to Saturday’s theme track (The Role of I-O Psychologists in Corporate Social Responsibility) in this TIP issue. These two tracks will be running concurrently with 18 other tracks that will feature our excellent, peer-reviewed sessions. Note: Seven hours of CE credit are available for attending an entire track. No partial credit will be given.
Friday Seminars
Four outstanding seminars have been assembled that will add significant value to any attendee’s conference experience. Led by prominent thought leaders and covering cutting-edge topics, these sessions offer an exceptional opportunity to broaden your horizons and stimulate your thinking. Note that CE credits are offered and advance registration is required for each of these sessions. Please see the registration book article by Russell Johnson for a full description of the 2009 Friday seminars.
Master Collaboration Series
Most agree that collaboration between researchers and practitioners is essential for advancing our field, and this session brings this desired partnership to life. You will see firsthand the results of a highly successful collaboration between a leading researcher and a leading practitioner who have advanced the study and practice of team development and effectiveness. Please see the separate article by Linda Shanock describing this innovative and stimulating session.
Invited Addresses
We are very fortunate to have two celebrated keynote speakers join our conference this year: Dr. Peter Gollwitzer, professor of Psychology at NYU, whose research spans social psychology, cognition and perception, neuropsychology, and I-O psychology will be discussing the question of how goals and plans affect cognition and behavior; our second keynote is Dr. James H. Bray, who is the 2009 president of the American Psychological Association, an associate professor of Family and Community Medicine and Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine, a NIH funded scientist, and a Fellow of 12 APA divisions. He will focus on the future of psychology practice and science education.
Concurrent Sessions
We received over 1,250 submissions for the 2009 conference and by all accounts will have a significant number of very high-quality sessions in store this year. These sessions will be presented in a variety of formats including symposia/forums, roundtable/conversation hours, panel discussions, posters, debates, and master tutorials. In addition, we will have addresses from our SIOP award winners, key committee reports, and an update from the fall consortium on executive coaching.
Communities of Interest (COI) sessions
The COI sessions are rapidly becoming a big hit with SIOP conference attendees. These sessions are a great way to network with like-minded colleagues and to share knowledge and stimulate ideas in your areas of interest. We have an excellent lineup of 12 COI sessions this year. Please see the article by Anthony Adorno describing this year’s COI’s.
Volunteer Activities
In conjunction with the Saturday Theme Track on corporate social responsibility, SIOP will be arranging one off-site and several on-site community outreach activities in New Orleans. Please see the Saturday Theme Track article by Sara Weiner and her committee for complete details on the events. We certainly hope you will take advantage of these tremendous opportunities to volunteer.
Appreciation
Putting together our annual conference is a massive team effort involving hundreds of incredible volunteers. Though there are just too many people to list by name here, I do want to recognize some key individuals. This starts with the Past Program Chair Steven Rogelberg and the Program Chair-in-Training Sara Weiner, who comprise the Strategic Program Planning Subcommittee. They are essential to the design, planning, and execution of the program. I would also like to thank the program subcommittee chairs: Anthony Adorno, Russell Johnson, Denise M. Rousseau, Linda Shanock, Mo Wang, and Sara Weiner. And as always, none of this would be possible without the great work of SIOP Executive Director David Nershi and his Administrative Office staff in Bowling Green.