Faculty Highlight: Sheila Keener

1. What were your goals for your first year here at Strome?
   1. Continue to make progress on my research
   2. Build relationships with other faculty
   3. Make an impact on my students
2. How did Covid-19 effect you as a first year professor?
   1. Moving my class online was a challenge and very time-consuming (as I'm sure it was for everyone else!). It was a good lesson on the importance of flexibility though and I gained experience with recording lectures and using some Blackboard features I hadn't used before.
3. How did you plan to impact your students and the management community?
   1. My goal is to give students the opportunity to gain practical knowledge and skills so that they can be more competitive on the job market and more successful once they have a job in their chosen field.
4. How have your students impacted you after working with them at the MRL and having your findings were presented at the inaugural HRSHRM Hampton Roads Workforce?
   1. Andrew Bennett and Emily Campion started the MRL - I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to join them in the 2019-2020 academic year. We had an amazing group of students. It's inspiring to see students who are so interested in research and willing to invest additional time to research outside of their classwork and other commitments. I've found that working with students is a great way to maintain your passion for research and continuous learning.
5. What was your role working with the students in the MRL?
   1. The MRL had several students this year, so we split into two groups and worked on two different projects in Fall 2019; then came together to work on one project together in the Spring (until it was interrupted by the pandemic). Emily and I took the lead on the Student Benefits Survey project for the HRSHRM Hampton Roads Workforce Conference in the Fall. Together, we taught students how to analyze survey data and summarize their findings. Two of the students from the lab (Jamayca Madolid and Maria Llanos) presented the group's findings, as well as findings from a survey of the broader community (led by Ryan Klinger) at the conference. Ryan, Andrew, Emily, and I helped these students with their presentation. The students did an amazing job presenting!
6. Can you elaborate on your role as the coach and the competition itself?
   1. The students had to present on a current trend with strategic relevance to the field of Human Resources Management. They presented virtually and were judged by several members of the Virginia State SHRM Council. As the coach, I helped them narrow down a topic, understand research findings, and develop/practice their presentation. It was the first time ODU participated in the competition and our students won first place! The students (Jamayca Madolid, Maya Copeland, and Devyn Asercion) worked very hard to bring the presentation together and were awesome presenters. Jennifer Klinger assembled a great group of students for the competition and was a lifesaver dealing with some day-of technical difficulties! Jennifer has done an amazing job leading the SHRM club - I was very excited to be able to join her for the 2019-2020 academic year.
7. What was your article about?
   1. Broadly, it is about scale development and evaluation. We reviewed current scale development and evaluation practices in articles published in the Journal of Applied Psychology as well as in journals from other disciplines. Based on our review, we provide guidance about how to improve measurement in the fields of management and applied psychology as well as provide some useful tools. The paper is titled, "From alpha to omega and beyond!: A look at the past, present, and (possible) future of psychometric soundness in the Journal of Applied Psychology." We had an amazing group of authors (Cortina, Sheng, Keener, Keeler, Grubb, Schmitt, Tonidandel, Summerville, Heggestad, & Banks). The paper was accepted as a Journal of Applied Psychology Monograph and will hopefully be in-press soon!
8. What are your goals for the upcoming year and thereafter?
   1. Continue to make progress on my research and craft a strong research identity.
   2. Continue to improve my HR class, as well as to take on additional classes over the next few years.
   3. Be more involved in the department and the Strome community, as well as the larger Hampton Roads community.