At a recruiting event for my organization, I (Bharati) was approached by a job applicant. With the demographic information section of the application in hand, she asked, “I am half White and half Black. Which box should I check? Both boxes for White/Caucasian American and Black/African American, or just the one that says “Other?” This confusion reflects a larger national discussion in the U.S. regarding the definition of the “Other” category: does it mean “multiracial,” “none of the above,” both, or something else?

I-O psychology is one of the fastest growing fields (Schellenberger, 2010; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014) of this decade, and the job of industrial organizational psychologist has been ranked the second most attractive job in science (“Industrial Organizational Psychologist Overview,” 2018). As more undergraduate students enter the field of I-O psychology, this will result in an increased demand for graduate-level degrees. With the growing influence of I-O psychology as a result of this influx, there is a need to understand from where I-O PhD programs draw their faculty. These faculty train new I-O psychology PhDs, and their training can have an effect on the course of the science (Smaldino & McElreath, 2016) and the academic life of these institutions. One way to understand how I-O psychology graduate programs grow is through an investigation of the academic origins of their faculty.

Ask any C-level executive what keeps them up at night and chances are that a lack of deep leadership bench is at the top of their list. In fact, only 18% of HR professionals rate their organization as strong in current leadership bench strength (Hanson, 2011). So it is not surprising that identifying, developing, and retaining high potential talent is one of the most critical human capital issues facing organizations today (Silzer & Church, 2009). Changing workforce demographics, the impact of globalization and technology, and increased scrutiny from investors and boards of directors have increased the spotlight on the quality of an organization’s leadership talent pipeline.

In September of 2015, the United Nations of the world adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the aim “to free the human race from the tyranny of poverty and want and to heal and secure our planet” by 2030 (United Nations General Assembly, 2015, p. 1). Last and far from least, the 17th Sustainable Development Goal is labeled “Partnerships for the Goals.” It emphasizes the critical need for strategic alliances, which was underscored in a synthesis report on the post-2015 agenda, titled “The Road to Dignity by 2030,”

Many SIOP members belong to grass-root, local I-O groups designed to bring like-minded colleagues together to socialize, network, and learn. The SIOP Local I-O Group Relations Committee hosted a Hub and Spoke alternative session at the Chicago conference to learn how SIOP can support the needs of these groups. In this session, members represented the “spokes” when they join one of four “hubs.” Each hub was designed to listen to member needs based on one of four stages of a group’s development: start up, new, mature, and reviving.