Human Capital Development Doctoral Students and Faculty Present at the 2024 AHRD Conference in Arlington, Va.

Thu, 03/21/2024 - 09:03am | By: Dena Temple

Doctoral students and faculty from the School of Leadership at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) recently presented at the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD) International Research Conference in the Americas in Arlington, Virginia.

The AHRD is the premier academic home for human capital development scholars. Southern Miss was well represented with four faculty and nine Human Capital Development Ph.D. students in attendance. Twelve peer-reviewed papers and posters were presented with topics ranging from psychological safety in the workplace, inclusive leadership, competency development, emotional intelligence, and workplace resilience, among others.

“The University of Southern Mississippi offers one of the top Human Capital Development programs in the country, which propels our students to success, both here in Mississippi and beyond,” noted Dr. Heather Annulis, Director of the School of Leadership and one of the conference presenters. “The broad range of research interests was evident in the wide variety of topics covered by the scholarly presentations of our faculty and students. Their efforts contribute to USM’s excellent reputation as a research university with the prestigious R1 designation.”

Faculty from the School of Leadership also participated at AHRD in various capacities. Dr. Bhagyashree Barhate served as Proceedings Edutor for the conference. In addition, Dr. Hamett “Quincy” Brown served as the Coordinator of the Future Scholars and Leaders Colloquium, a pre-conference event where students from Human Resource Development graduate programs across the country gathered to learn about and discuss the creation of original research.

USM doctoral student Peter Kalejaiye (principal investigator) and Drs. Quincy Brown, Bhagyashree Barhate, Heather Annulis, and fellow student Melissa Wheat were awarded the AHRD Korea-SIG Sponsored Team-Up Grant Award, along with Malarvishi Hirudayaraj, Rochester Institute of Technology, Tomika Greer, University of Houston, Jihye Oh, Azusa Pacific University, Omaima Hajjami, Louisiana State University, and Sami El Ahmadie, Texas A&M University. The grant will allow them to complete their research project, “Cyberloafing Behaviors Among Remote Workers in Multi-generational Workspaces.”

Student and faculty research contributions included:

• Faculty member Casey Maugh Funderburk presented a paper co-written with Dr. Bradley Winton, also of the School of Leadership, “Examining the Impact of Faith-based Collectivism and Emotional Intelligence on Resilience
  and Grit.”
• Bhagyashree Barhate presented a poster, “Work Values and Career Expectations of Gen Z.”
• D. candidate Charity Odom presented a poster, “Trauma, Brave Spaces, and Safe Conversations Amid Social Unrest.”
• Melissa Wheat and Heather Annulis presented a poster, “Exploring Employee Experiences with Leaders’ Influence on Autonomous Motivation: A Mixed Methods Study.”
• A poster titled “Determination of Influential Factors of Perceived Employability during High Unemployment” was presented by faculty member Bhagyashree Barhate, along with Ruchi Sao, Nirma University; Malarvizhi Hirudayaraj, Rochester Institute of Technology; and Rose Baker, University of North Texas.
• D. candidate Peter Kalajaiye and Dr. Hamett Brown presented their research poster, “Exploring Employers’ and Disability Organizations Partnerships’ Effectiveness in Recruiting, Hiring, Training, Retaining, and Accommodating Individuals with Disability in Mississippi.”
• D. candidates Maurine Pace, Peter Kalejaiye, Alexis Bradley, and Dr. Casey Maugh Funderburk presented their poster, “Improving Intergenerational Communication among Members to Enhance Engagement in a Small Non-Profit Organization.”
• Omaima Hajiami, Louisiana State University; Bhagyashree Barhate, USM, and Sami El Ahmadie, Texas A&M University, presented their poster, “The Humility Double Bind in Women Leadership: What is the Role of HRD Scholars and Practitioners.”
• D. candidate Roosevelt Morgan and faculty member Dr. Bhagyashree Barhate presented the poster, “Post-Traumatic Oppression Syndrome and How it Manifests in the Workplace.”
• D. candidate Peter Kalejaiye and co-authors Drs. Hamett Brown, Heather Annulis, and Bhagyashree Barhatepresented their poster, “The Relationship Between Professional Quality of Life, Passion, and Intention to Quit Jobs among Nurses in the Post-COVID-19 Era in Mississippi.”
• Hamett Brown and Bhagyashree Barhate and Ph.D. candidate Cynthia Habeeb presented their research paper, “The Influence of Technostress on Coaching via Computer-Mediated Communication.”
• Finally, Dr. Sanghamitra Chaudhuri, Metropolitan Statae University, and Bhagyashree Barhate presented a professional development workshop, “Prepping Academia as Gen Z Women Zoom in Embracing Reverse Mentoring as a Way Forward.”

The School of Leadership is housed within the College of Business and Economic Development at The University of Southern Mississippi and operates on the Coastal USM campus in Long Beach, Mississippi. Its undergraduate degree programs include Accounting, Applied Technology, Business Administration, Industrial Engineering Technology, Industrial Engineering Technology (Logistics), Management, and Marketing. Graduate programs include Human Capital Development, Human Capital Development (Instructional Technology and Design), Instructional Technology and Design, and Logistics, Trade and Transportation.

Learn more about these degree programs, or email.