Industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology is a growing field as corporations and non-profit organizations, alike, address such issues as diversity training, sexual harassment, organizational restructuring and causes of dysfunctional behavior in the workplace. However, there is little awareness of the niche field beyond those who specialize in it. Jane Halpert and Alice Stuhlmacher, associate professors in DePaul’s psychology department, will conduct a teaching institute on I-O psychology for high school psychology teachers April 3, from 1:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m., at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, 301 E. North Water St., Erie Room.

The “Teaching Institute on I-O Psychology in the High School Curriculum” is being offered in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial/Organizational Psychology (SIOP). Halpert and Stuhlmacher, both past presidents of the local chapter of the organization, were asked by meeting organizers to conduct the teachers’ workshop aimed at broadening secondary educators’ awareness of their field.

According to Halpert and Stuhlmacher, although many high schools now offer introduction to psychology courses, chapters on industrial-organizational psychology are often missing from the textbooks, and classroom discussions are virtually nonexistent. The teaching institute is designed to provide an overview of the history and core topics in the field, along with examples of activities and demonstrations to spark student interest and learning in the field.

Industrial-organizational psychology involves the researching and application of psychological principles relating to people and work. In the area of hiring, alone, an I-O psychologist can help a company recruit the best people to fit an organization, hire the best matches for the position and retain the best people. “In our field, we value the emphasis on people as well as research to support organizational decisions,” said Stuhlmacher. “The field provides lots of opportunities for us to come in, and through the use of research methods and statistics, fill needs that people hadn’t thought about.”

DePaul just recently marked its 20th year of offering a doctoral program in I-O psychology. The program has graduated close to 50 doctoral students since it began in 1983, and many of them landed jobs locally at companies such as United Airlines, Motorola, SBC, Sears, Walgreen’s, Advocate Health Care and Hewitt Associates. According to Halpert, who has been teaching in the field for 25 years, DePaul is one of the few universities in Illinois offering a full concentration of I-O courses at both the graduate and undergraduate level. Students have come from countries as far away as Denmark, Trinidad and Japan to enroll in the Ph.D. program. “It’s a strong program that provides really good training, and Chicago is a good location to work because there are great opportunities here,” said Halpert.

Enrollment in the “Teaching Institute on I-O Psychology in the High School Curriculum” is limited to 25 participants. The registration fee is $35. To register or for more information, contact Alice Stuhlmacher at astuhlma@depaul.edu, 773/325-2050 or Jane Halpert at jhalpert@depaul.edu, 773/325-4265.