Announcing the Wayne Cascio Scientist–Practitioner Award

Milton D. Hakel, SIOP Foundation President

In 2018, Wayne Cascio and the SIOP Foundation created an Incubator Fund with the goal to create an endowed award honoring SIOP members for career achievement that exemplifies the scientist–practitioner model. That fund has now surpassed the Foundation’s $75,000 endowment threshold, standing at $90,000. The Cascio Award is to be presented to SIOP members whose careers exemplify the scientist–practitioner model in I-O psychology.

In 2019 Wayne was among 39 people honored in President Talya Bauer’s Scientist–Practitioner Presidential Recognition (SPPR) program. With regard to (a) impact on creating and disseminating applied knowledge, Wayne’s first three refereed publications show the eclecticism of his research.  He subsequently contributed pioneering articles to utility analysis, performance testing, statistical power analysis, analysis of individual change scores, employee turnover, and many additional topical strands in a record that comprises 12 books (33 if one counts all editions) and 200+ articles and chapters. (b) Wayne’s stature within the communities of science and of practice is well shown by his reception of 31 awards (including an honorary doctorate from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, induction into the Australian HR Institute’s Hall of Fame, and, by a vote of 90 countries, the World Federation of People Management Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award), and it is further documented in numerous visiting positions, consultantships, legal briefs, and professional certifications. (c) Reliance on data gathered in applied settings is clearly evident in Wayne’s journal publications, beginning with his earliest articles, and especially shown in those that appeared in the Journal of Applied Psychology. (d) With regard to modeling scientist–practitioner behavior and values, his career-long practice of addressing human resources strategy issues is especially noteworthy, deserving to be emulated by I-O psychologists everywhere.  This has been not just a matter of publications and his 750+ presentations worldwide (e.g., on responsible restructuring, downsizing, the financial implications of HR initiatives) but also participation and advocacy in professional associations (e.g., SIOP, Academy of Management, SHRM). (e) Disseminating applied knowledge is Wayne’s strong suit, and it shows throughout his cumulative record, including media publications (e.g., op eds, the business press, four cover stories in HRMonthly [Australia]), 16 SIOP preconference workshops, and his creativity in launching and sustaining the SHRM Foundation’s 14 video-based business cases. 

What’s missing from the preceding paragraph is direct testimony about what led Wayne into our peculiar field of applied science and how he has woven so many disparate strands together to create such global impact. Here is a link to his story—his SIOP presidential biography—online at https://0-www-siop-org.library.alliant.edu/Portals/84/docs/Presidents/Cascio_Wayne_F.pdf. It will help with understanding why he is held in such high respect and affection.

The SIOP Foundation Trustees are grateful to Wayne for his career-long exemplary leadership of our field and for taking the initiative to create this endowment.

Nominations are now open for the inaugural Wayne Cascio Scientist–Practitioner Award. Nominees will be evaluated on the cumulative impact each has had on both the practice and the science of I-O psychology. As is evident in the SPPR paragraph above, many categories of evidence and kinds of accomplishment are relevant in assessing cumulative impact, such as

• introducing innovative approaches that span practice and science;

• providing evidence-based interventions, procedures, and/or metrics in organizations or for employees;

• authoring influential works in peer-reviewed journals and in practitioner-oriented outlets (e.g., influencing both I-O and non-I-O audiences through presentations, book chapters, magazines, news media, social media, blogs); 

• advocating for the scientist–practitioner model;

• training and mentoring scientist–practitioners;

• in sum, cumulatively shaping the knowledge base in one or more content areas of I-O psychology.

Following approval by SIOP’s Executive Board, the call for nominations for the Cascio Award now appears on the Foundation’s website. Like the other distinguished achievement and early career awards, the honoree will receive a $1,500 honorarium and a statue that symbolizes the interdependency of practice and science. The first winner of the Cascio Award will be announced at SIOP’s Boston conference in 2023.

The SIOP Foundation mission is to connect donors with I-O professionals to create smarter workplaces. The trustees welcome your comments, suggestions, and creative imaginings. 

Milt Hakel, President, mhakel@bgsu.edu

Rich Klimoski, Vice-President, rklimosk@gmu.edu

Nancy Tippins, Secretary, nancy@tippinsgroup.com

Leaetta Hough, Treasurer, leaetta@msn.com

Adrienne Colella, Communications Officer, acolella@tulane.edu

Mirian Graddick-Weir, Trustee, mgraddickweir76@gmail.com

Bill Macey, Trustee, wmacey9@gmail.com

John C. Scott, Trustee, JScott@APTMetrics.com

The SIOP Foundation
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Bowling Green, OH 43402-1355
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Email: SIOPFoundation@siop.org

Website: www.siopfoundation.org