Member Spotlight: Lisa Kath

Name 
Lisa Kath 

Position/Employer 
Associate Professor, San Diego State University

How long have you been a SIOP member? 
Since 1999 

What roles have you had within SIOP? 
Co-chair of Students & Academia subcommittee of the Visibility Committee, member of the SIOP Work Smart Team, experienced reviewer for the SIOP Annual Conference 

Interest Area(s) 
Occupational health psychology, specifically worker stress and safety 

What sparked your interest in I-O psychology? 
Experiencing safety training, performance appraisal, interviews, and culture differences in my jobs as an organic chemist. 

What role do you see I-O psychology playing in the future of work? 
As we gain more visibility, we can help leaders who want to create healthy, sustainable work environments do so more effectively. 

Which of the Top 10 Work Trends for 2022 do you most strongly relate to and how can I-O psychology practitioners, educators, and students impact this trend? 
#7 - stress/burnout. I think we can amplify the growing awareness that it is not only helpful but it is vital to psychologically detach from work. Some of my research is focusing on effects of little things like our tendency to answer the question "How are you?" with "I'm so busy!" 

What advice would you give to students or those early in their careers? 
Don't lock yourself into only what we know within I-O psychology, but branch out and learn more about what's going on outside our bubble. Also, be prepared to explain what I-O psychology is to various people in various ways! 

What is one of your favorite SIOP Annual Conference memories/highlights? 
It's always reuniting with long-time friends and former classmates/professors/students, but more recently, it's the look on some people's faces when they realize their favorite I-O psych memes social media account is run by a middle-aged suburban mom. 

Please share one non-I-O-related bit of information about yourself 
Craft therapy (sewing, crochet) works wonders for me, and I like to play piano, even though I'll never be really good at it. 

Is there anything you would like to add? 
I'm moderating the SIOP Work Smart session on August 18 on communication, and I'm really excited to have assembled such an interesting group of panelists to talk about how we can more effectively persuade others to take our advice! 

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