I/O Psychology Advisory Board - Office of Professional Programs

Mission Statement

The mission of UMBC’s I/O Psychology Advisory Board is to support the program, including curriculum, students and faculty through multiple spheres of influence.

About the Advisory Board

The Advisory Board is made up of caring and highly accomplished industry leaders from the consulting, nonprofit, and private sectors. It will fulfill its mission through an ongoing relationship with the program. Activities of the Board will include (but not be limited to):
– Curriculum Advisory
– Student Mentoring
– Career and employment development through internships and jobs
– Professional networking
– Guest presentations to students and faculty about I/O and HR industry experience

Lance Anderson, PhD

Dr. Lance Anderson the Director of the Civilian Government Line of Business with HumRRO. Dr. Anderson has over 25 years’ experience conducting I-O research. He has directed projects on hiring and promotional system development, standards development, development of educational and training requirements, leadership development, and assessment of persons with disabilities. He has developed and validated a wide range of hiring assessments, including experience checklists, multiple-choice knowledge exams, situational judgment tests, work samples, accomplishment records, and in-basket exams. Having performed this work for hundreds of types of jobs. Dr. Anderson is also an expert psychometrician with experience analyzing and interpreting data with a wide variety of techniques, including test equating, regression adjusted for multivariate-range-restriction, errors-in-variables analysis, etc. Much of his work has been in highly litigious environments, including projects under consent decree. Dr. Anderson has provided employment-related litigation support services, depositions, and reports to address litigation. Dr. Anderson is also an experienced project manager, having successfully managed dozens of federal projects ranging in values up to several million dollars.

Alok Bhupatkar, Ph.D.

Dr. Bhupatkar is an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist with 15+ years of experience. He earned his PhD from Texas A&M University in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. His areas of experience and expertise include strategic job analysis, organizational justice and commitment, talent management, leadership development, business process re-engineering (BPR), and psychometric issues related to workplace assessments.During his career, Dr. Bhupatkar has worked with a variety of clients, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Department of Education, Texas Education Agency (TEA), Department of Labor, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

In his current role, Dr. Bhupatkar directs and manages Talent Development Branch’s several initiatives such as Career Progression Plan, Leadership Development System, Mentoring, and Coaching program.

Rich Cober, Ph.D.

Rich Cober is MicroStrategy’s Chief Human Resources Officer. In this role, Rich leads MicroStrategy’s teams responsible for HR Business Partnership, HR Operations, Talent Acquisition, and Talent Management. MicroStrategy employees nearly 2,500 people globally who are supported by members of Rich’s HR team.

Prior to this role, Rich worked for Marriott International where he served as a senior HR Business Partner, senior leader within Marriott’s learning organization, and a senior leader responsible for Marriott’s Talent Management Analytics and Solutions (TMAS) Team. Across roles, Rich advised senior stakeholders on People Strategy issues, built plans for designing and deploying HR tools and processes, and built Marriott’s organizational capability through a variety of organizational design initiatives.

Rich began his career earning his Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Akron. Rich was a visiting professor in Cleveland State University’s School of Business and then spent several years working in management consulting. In addition to his professional experience, Rich has published his research in the areas of employee recruitment, hiring, and performance management in academic journals, had research findings cited in the popular press, and is a regular presenter and chairperson at professional conferences. Rich is a Past President of the Personnel Testing Council of Washington, D.C. as well as past Chair of SIOP’s Professional Practice Committee. Rich was awarded the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology’s (SIOP) Early Career Contributions award in 2014.

David A. Dye, PhD

Dr. David Dye has over 30 years of leadership and management consulting in the Federal Government and commercial sectors, contributing to the improved performance of employees, work teams, and organizations. As a Director in Deloitte’s Human Capital Practice, he assists clients in developing and aligning human capital programs to achieve organizational strategy and mission. His areas of expertise span the human capital lifecycle for attracting, developing, and retaining talent. Dr. Dye is the executive sponsor for the firm’s Federal Leader Development Community of Practice, as well as for key eminence initiatives, including sponsorships with the Partnership for Public Service’s Best Places to Work in Government Rankings™, the Senior Executives Association, and The Engagement Institute™. Prior to Deloitte, Dr. Dye worked at Booz Allen Hamilton and the US Office of Personnel Management.

David is a Past President of the Personnel Testing Council of Metropolitan Washington (PTC-MW) and the International Personnel Assessment Council (IPAC), in which he led the development of the association’s HR certification program. He holds a Top Secret Security clearance and is an ICF-certified Executive Coach. Dr. Dye received his Ph.D. from The George Washington University in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. He is a frequent contributor to Federal news and media outlets, and has presented internationally and published book chapters and articles in various professional journals, including Public Personnel Management, Personality and Individual Differences, and International Journal of Selection and Assessment

Gerri Mason Hall

Gerri Mason Hall leads the people function for Sodexo North America with responsibility for over 130,000 employees. She is committed to creating an environment where all feel valued and have the resources and support to fully engage in Sodexo’s quest to be the global leader in Quality of Life services. Gerri joined Sodexo in 2006 leading the Diversity & Inclusion efforts in the Corporate and Government Services business lines. Prior to Sodexo, Gerri designed and implemented Amtrak’s diversity programs as the VP Business Diversity and Strategic Initiatives.

A graduate of Vassar College and the George Washington University National Law Center, Gerri held a number of appointments in both the federal and District of Columbia governments, including the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights where she honed her interest in Inclusion. Gerri is a member of the Stop Hunger Foundation Board as well Sodexo Women’s International Forum for Talent (SWIFt). She is also a member of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, the Executive Leadership Council and the Links, Inc.

Michael Heil, PhD

Michael Heil, Ph.D. Mike is a Director with Aon Hewitt. He currently serves as Project Director for several efforts within the Assessment and Selection Service Line, which is part of Aon Hewitt’s Talent, Rewards & Performance practice. In this role, he leads the development, implementation, and maintenance of assessment solutions; identifies and proposes innovative assessment strategies; and consults with key stakeholders to identify the best solutions to their assessment needs. Mike is also a Psychologist-in-Residence at American University, where he teaches I/O Psychology.

Mike was a member of team that won the 2000 SIOP M. Scott Myers Award for Applied Research in the Workplace. He has a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Kansas State University.

Wendy Merrill

Wendy Merrill is the Founder and Chief Rainmaker of StrategyHorse Consulting Group. The focus of her practice is on helping professional services organizations to grow their Human Capital through smart strategic workforce planning. Wendy applies creative and pragmatic strategies to apply “choreography” to what are otherwise improvised business development efforts. Prior to forming StrategyHorse, she spent over 22 years in the financial services/insurance industry where she was responsible for sales, marketing, business development, operations, HR and executing on the corporate vision for her own insurance agency. Wendy is a renowned thought leader on the topics of bridging generational gaps in the workplace as well as managing smart growth by increasing the overall awareness of both management and their teams.

Wendy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Art History from the University of Maryland, College Park, where she also pursued Italian Studies. She resides in Owings Mills, Maryland with her husband and three children. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, writing and Italian travel.

Leslie Overmyer-Day, Ph.D.

Dr. Overmyer-Day is Lead Associate and Cyber Workforce Architect with Booz Allen Hamilton. She earned her Ph.D. in I/O Psychology from George Mason University. Dr. Overmyer-Day has over 25 years of experience working with clients in government and industry in conducting organizational, program and workforce analysis, and identifying human capital influences on organizational performance. With a solid background in workforce learning and training, she performs assessments of performance requirements and training needs, skill gaps, application of training standards, and measuring outcomes. Dr. Overmyer-Day is a skilled process consultant focused on diagnosing changes needed within organizations, and guiding clients through that change. She is expert in applying multiple methods to gather and analyze data that lead to actionable outcomes, and results from her analyses have resulted in policy change at the national level. She has played a key role in the establishment and validation of standards that define the parameters of how we define cyber work, and she is actively involved in the validation and application of standards to this emerging workforce. Dr. Overmyer-Day focuses on a broad range of human capital and learning subject areas, and holds certifications in the Hogan Personality Inventory, IC Agile, and Kirkpatrick Four-Levels Evaluation.

Fred Panzer, PhD

Dr. Fred Panzer is Practice Lead for Strategy and Organizational Development at ASI Government. Fred has over 16 years of experience designing and implementing organizational development and strategic human capital (HC) solutions for a variety of government and private sector clients. Currently, Fred leads the ASI team providing strategic and organizational development support for the Federal Emergency Management (FEMA), Flood Insurance & Mitigation Administration (FIMA), focusing on transforming FIMA’s business operations and linking strategic acquisition planning to program needs and desired outcomes.

Fred is responsible for the effective execution of client projects and programs and is focused on helping federal agencies acquire, assess, develop, and retain their top talent. He has led numerous HC and Human Resources (HR) related initiatives for clients such as the Department of Defense, National Parks Service, Department Homeland Security, United States Citizenship and Immigration, National Credit Union Administration, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition to his successful project history, Fred has published research articles in peer-reviewed journals and presented at industry conferences, including the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial/Organizational Psychology (SIOP).

Fred has a Ph.D. and a Master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Florida International University and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Florida. He is a Project Management Professional (PMP) and is also certified in Prosci Change Management and Human Capital Institute (HCI) Strategic Workforce Planning.

William F. Rothenbach

Bill Rothenbach is currently Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) for J. J. Haines and Company. As CHRO, he is responsible for all talent management and people-related policies, programs, processes, and initiatives throughout the company. Haines is the largest floor-covering distribution company in the United States with a diverse portfolio of products and operations in 15 states.

Bill obtained his M.A. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the University of Akron and his B.A. in Psychology from Edinboro University. He has over 35 years of domestic and international experience and has held human resources executive positions with companies like Black & Decker, Bausch & Lomb, Sara Lee and Fidelity & Guaranty Life. Bill also taught for 5 years at Towson University as an Associate Faculty member in their Graduate School Human Resources Development Program. He is the author of numerous publications and holds the SPHR and SHRM-SCP Human Resources professional accreditations. Bill currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Chesapeake Human Resources Foundation (CHRF). He resides in Bel Air, MD with his wife Christine and is an avid painter.

John W. Sigmon

John is a visionary human resources and business innovation strategist with successes across for profit, not for profit, and public sector organizations. John is the Founder and CEO of Sigmon Leadership Solutions a boutique consulting and executive coaching practice. He previously served as the Chief Human Resources Office at AARP.

John is a frequent contributor and speaker at on a variety of topics including, “The Modern HR Environment”, “Employer Branding and HR”, “Workforce Engagement,” and “Driving Business Outcomes Through Analytics.” John is also the author of “The Empowered CHRO” a chapter “HR DIRECTIONS: HR leading lights on what you should know right now about leadership, engagement, technology, and growing your own world class HR career.” A volume featuring cutting edge thought leadership by top CHROs and HR/leadership consultants. With coaching certifications from Marshall Goldsmith and The International Coaching Federation, John has an exceptional reputation as a leader and coach.

John has a B.A. degree from Western Illinois University and a Masters in Health Policy and Administration degree from the University of North Carolina. John is a certified as a Senior Human Resources Professional. He is a Fellow in the American College of Health Care Executives and lives in New York with his wife Danielle.

Follow John on Twitter, on LinkedIn or at www.johnsigmon.com

Joann Speer Sorra, PhD

Joann Speer Sorra, Ph.D., is an industrial-organizational psychologist and Associate Director in the Center for Healthcare Delivery Research and Evaluation at Westat, an employee-owned research corporation located in Rockville,Maryland. Dr. Sorra has more than 20 years of applied experience conducting organizational and health services research for federal government and commercial clients. Dr. Sorra’s applied work has primarily focused on health care quality and patient safety, patient caregiver experience with health care, implementation science, program evaluation, survey methodology, and complex project management. Dr. Sorra has led the development of surveys that assess the extent to which the organizational culture in health care organizations support patient safety. Her work on patient safety culture surveys has had widespread impact-administered in hundreds of hospitals in the U.S. and internationally and translated into more than 31 languages.

Dr. Sorra is a Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and received her master’s degree from Michigan State University and Ph.D. from the University of Maryland at College Park. She is on the editorial board for the Journal for Healthcare Quality and serves as an active reviewer for over a dozen health care-related journals.