Special Interest Groups Coming Soon!

The brainchild of SIOP Past President Tara Behrend, three special interest groups (SIG) will debut in 2025. Behrend created a task force in 2024 to investigate the interest in and logistics of creating these groups. Chair Roni Reiter-Palmon assembled a group of interested members to create a proposal for the Executive Board: Richard Landers, Enrica Ruggs, Amy DuVernet, Ny Mia Tran, Jaclyn Martin Kowal, David Arena, Catherine Neale, and SIOP staff member Jenny Baker. This proposal was presented and approved at the September 20 board meeting.

The impetus for creating these groups was to increase member networking opportunities and create a space that will also encourage collaborative research. Now that SIOP is upgrading technology, software will be in place after the first of the year that can support such communities.

The SIG Task Force recommends the creation of three SIGs as initial test groups for a 1-year pilot test. These SIG areas were determined based on interest during the annual conference indicated by data from the Whova app. 

1. AI in I-O Psychology

2. Early Career Practitioners

3. People Analytics

The pilot will span 1 year from approximately April 2025 through April 2026, allowing SIOP staff to launch new technology needed to manage and promote SIGs. Outcomes of the pilot will include information on the viability of SIGs within SIOP, particularly as it relates to the ability of SIGs to produce member value, as well as revisions and refinement to the long-term approach.

Each SIG will have a leader, or Champion, who will be involved in promoting and helping the SIG to succeed. These Champions can also serve as a moderator (or choose someone else for that role), keeping an eye on the discussions housed on the SIOP website. Though they will not have budgets, the groups are encouraged to plan activities, such as Zoom webinars, conference meet-ups, and reading clubs, to foster a sense of community among members.

A webpage on the SIOP website will provide information about joining a SIG, creating a new one, or sunsetting an existing group. Keep an eye out for this information in February 2025.