Maria Gallego-Pace, PhD, is a talent and culture executive with over 15 years of experience transforming organizations through talent strategy, employee experience, and data-driven insights. With a doctorate in applied organizational psychology, she has built and led global functions in employee listening, people analytics, and organizational development, partnering with executives to shape high-performing, inclusive cultures. Her work has driven measurable impact across industries, from redesigning employee listening frameworks to launching enterprise-wide engagement strategies that improve retention, growth, and agility. She brings both academic depth and practical expertise and is committed to advancing conversations at the intersection of science and practice in the field of I-O psychology.
Juliette Nelson, PhD, is a transdisciplinary industrial-organizational (I-O) psychologist, Certified Diversity Executive (CDE®), published author, and entrepreneur passionate about empowering people to achieve the highest standards of their purpose. She holds a bachelor’s in business administration and management, an MBA from Mount Saint Mary College, and a PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Capella University.
She has led the development of competency models, assessments, and evidence-based research guidelines to support employee learning and development, as well as psychological safety, within the U.S. federal government. Dr. Nelson’s independent research focuses on the experiences of employees from historically marginalized groups, specifically in the domains of psychological safety, organizational trauma, and creative suffering. In her free time, Dr. Nelson enjoys watching Korean dramas, immersing herself in her newest reads, or taking a walk on a trail.
Through her work as an entrepreneur, Dr. Nelson reaffirms her commitment to creating safe and empowering spaces where individuals can thrive and be their authentic selves.
Derek Burns had no idea there were scientific methods to make work genuinely enjoyable while optimizing human performance—until hearing Adam Grant’s description of industrial and organizational psychology: “It’s the science of making work not suck.” That revelation opened up an entirely new world.
With over 10 years as a business analyst and product owner in the software and technology fields, Derek has worked with teams and organizations of every size, helping bridge the gap between business needs and technical solutions. His journey into understanding workplace dynamics began with earning an MS in Organizational Change Leadership, but discovering I-O psychology felt like finding his true calling.
Derek completed his MA in Industrial and Organizational Psychology in May 2025 and is currently pursuing his PhD, with research interests leaning toward stress and resilience—topics that feel increasingly relevant in our rapidly evolving work landscape. Through his professional work, he has spent considerable time learning and applying generative AI, which has opened fascinating new perspectives on how technology can enhance rather than complicate human work experiences.
When not buried in research or working with teams, you’ll find Derek watching movies, reading, working out, or spending quality time with friends and family. He is always eager to connect with others interested in the intersection of psychology, technology, and workplace well-being—especially those curious about generative AI applications. After all, the best insights often come from unexpected conversations.
Gordon Schmidt, PhD, is a professor of management and the director of the Turrentine School of Management at the University of Louisiana-Monroe. He has a doctorate in organizational psychology from Michigan State. He co-edited a book on social media use in employee selection. He cowrote Leaders Assemble: Leadership in the MCU, a book teaching leadership through Marvel superhero films. His latest book, Elements of Leadership: Lessons From Avatar: The Last Airbender, teaches leadership through that animated franchise. His next book will look at leadership lessons from the wild world of professional wrestling. He researches leadership, the future of work, and how technology is changing the nature of company–employee relations today. He has researched social media posts and organizational policies. Dr. Schmidt has researched the gig economy and the communities of gig workers that have sprung up around crowdsourcing sites like Amazon Mechanical Turk. He also does research related to virtual leadership and how technology impacts the leadership process. He has researched the future of the field of I-O psychology related to outreach of the field to those in practice. He also researches leadership in varied contexts, including lean production, corporate social responsibility initiatives, and popular culture. He writes blogs using popular culture to teach I-O psychology and management concepts.
Dr. Schmidt teaches courses related to leadership, human resources, and organizational behavior. His work related to teaching has been presented at conferences and published in a number of journals. He acted as the program chair for the 2020 virtual Management and Organizational Behavior Teaching Society Conference. He is a former co-editor of the journal Management Teaching Review.
Dr. Schmidt does consulting for organizations, primarily related to motivation, leadership, training, and future of work. He has shared his expertise at public events, including multiple comic book and popular culture conventions.
Dr. Keisha Phillips-Kong serves as an associate at Booz Allen Hamilton. In this role, she designs, implements, and evaluates organizational programs that directly impact the talent of federal government health market clients. She applies functional expertise in areas including training, design and development, strategic planning, workforce planning, and survey research. She also contributes to a variety of organizational talent projects and organizational talent management business development initiatives. Additionally, Dr. Phillips-Kong is an adjunct assistant professor of organizational psychology at the City University of New York (CUNY), with over 15 years of experience in higher education, curriculum development, administration, and organizational research. Over the course of her academic career, she taught more than 50 undergraduate and graduate courses.
Also, here is the bio for our regular book series reviewer:
Organic People Writing About Artificial Intelligence: Deciphering The Skill Code
In this new TIP series, each quarter Steven Hunt, PhD, will review books exploring the intersection of work, psychology, and technology. Dr. Hunt was awarded the honor of SIOP Fellow for pioneering use of technology to apply psychological knowledge to improve work affecting millions of employees around the globe. An author himself, his most recent book is Talent Tectonics: Navigating Global Workforce Shifts, Building Resilient Organizations, and Reimagining the Employee. The series starts with a look at the book The Skill Code by Dr. Matt Beane.
