I-O Psychology Faculty

Henri T. Maindidze, Ph.D. | Interim Graduate Program Director

Ph.D., Applied I-O Psychology, Portland State University
M.A., Psychology, SUNY Albany
B.A., Psychology, UMBC
A.A., Social Sciences & Health Administration, Montgomery College

Dr. Henri T. Maindidze brings extensive experience in research leadership, university instruction, and organizational consulting. His core research and applied interests center on workplace recruitment, selection, training, discrimination, research methodology, and quantitative analysis. In his research, Dr. Maindidze has examined accent bias in hiring, how organizational values shape applicant experiences, and employee motivations for voluntary diversity training. He has delivered engaging workshops on selection, leadership, mentor development, and student success across institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, UMBC, CUNY, the Academy of Management (AOM), and the International Personnel Assessment Council (IPAC). Dr. Maindidze is frequently sought out by students for career guidance, professional development, and mentorship toward graduate programs, professional schools, and industry roles.

In addition to his academic work, Dr. Maindidze is an organizational researcher and strategic consultant skilled in leveraging evidence-based insights to solve complex organizational challenges. He serves as a Junior Associate with Jernigan & Associates, where he addresses external client needs by combining mixed-methods analytics with strategic planning to produce technical reports, presentations, and data visualizations for Fortune 500 companies and small businesses alike. Dr. Maindidze has also provided key analytic support to the Universities at Shady Grove’s strategic planning and implementation efforts. Committed to broadening the reach of organizational science, he actively engages in scientific communication using innovative formats, such as infographics, workshops, and digital content, to elevate the field and upskill the science communication capabilities of fellow practitioners.

Recognized for his contributions to the field of I-O psychology, Dr. Maindidze is the 2025 recipient of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) Joyce-Thayer Graduate Fellowship and the 2024 recipient of the DCI Consulting Scholarship from Blacks in I-O Psychology (BIOP). He regularly presents his work at leading scientific conferences, including SIOP, AOM, BIOP, IPAC, and the Association for Psychological Science (APS), and his research appears in publications such as the International Journal of Selection and Assessment and Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Highly involved in professional governance, Dr. Maindidze serves on the SIOP Visibility Committee, leads the submission and review process for the BIOP Annual Conference, and serves as a peer reviewer across multiple national conferences.

William L. Farmer, Ph.D. | Adjunct Faculty

Ph.D., Quantitative Psychology/Psychometrics, University of Oklahoma
M.S., Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Western Illinois University
B.S., Biology, McKendree College

Dr. William ‘Bill’ Farmer has a rich background in both internal and external consulting, and conducting and directing personnel research for military, public, and private sector organizations for 30 years. He currently for serves as the Director of Testing, Measurement, Certification, and Program Analysis for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Office of Regulatory Affairs. In this role he is responsible developing the Office’s measurement strategy and aligning with the organization’s mission. With a team of industrial psychologists, certification professionals, and project management personnel, he leads FDA’s personnel certification programs and learning evaluation initiatives.

Prior to joining the FDA he served as the Navy’s technical representative to the Department of Defense for enlisted entrance and classification testing and within the Navy as technical adviser on the enlisted advancement examination process. Additionally he served as the program manager for the Navy’s non-cognitive testing initiative and Chair of the Institutional Review Board for the Bureau of Naval Personnel.

Between two tours with the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Bill was an external consultant whose clients included companies in the service, manufacturing, and retail industries. Prior to this he worked as an internal consultant, led the development, administration, and maintenance efforts of the talent management process and system for the largest operating unit of FedEx. While at FedEx he also ran the entry testing program for line airline pilots. He worked for the Federal Aviation Administration (air traffic controller and airway facilities selection) and United Van Lines, the leading household goods relocation transportation company. Though his experience touches on areas as diverse as leader development (including executive coaching), training, and performance management, his primary focus has been in the areas of selection and psychometrics.

He has served as adjunct graduate faculty, teaching courses in industrial psychology, employee selection, compensation, research, statistics, and advanced psychometrics, as well as committee work on doctoral and master’s theses. He is a member of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP), and the Personnel Testing Council of Metropolitan Washington (PTC-MW). He served as the founding chair, 2012-2016, of SIOP’s Committee on Local I-O Group Relations; and founding charter member of Memphis Industrial-Organizational Psychologists (MIOP). He received his PhD in Quantitative Psychology/Psychometrics from the University of Oklahoma.

Robin Jaffe Goebel, M.S., GPHR | Adjunct Instructor

M.S., Organizational Development, Johns Hopkins University
B.A., Speech Communications, The Pennsylvania State University

Robin Goebel is currently Vice President of Human Resources and Administration at Dexis Consulting Group, an international professional services company which promote stability, resilience, and prosperity through social and peacekeeping programs across agriculture and economic growth, stabilization, and security sector assistance committed to helping develop the best talent while building a culture of engagement, agility, and innovation. Before joining Dexis, Robin served as Human Resources Director for Chemonics International, where she implemented a performance management system and company-wide professional development plans. She has extensive experience leading organizational transformations and has managed the unique staffing, legal, and operational demands of global international development organizations, including AMIDEAST and CHF International.

Robin is a former Adjunct Professor at Trinity University where she taught classes in human resources and organizational development.  She received her MS from Johns Hopkins University in Organizational Development and her BA from The Pennsylvania State University in Speech Communications.

Darrell L. Harvey, Ph.D. | Adjunct Faculty

Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University
M.S., Pennsylvania State University
B.A., Hampton University

Dr. Darrell Harvey is an industrial-organizational psychologist with over 30 years of experience as an organizational consultant, executive coach, and leadership/team development facilitator. He leads the Ascendant Leadership and Change Group, a consulting firm that provides organizational consulting and training services. His work has included leadership development/executive coaching, organizational assessment and change, team improvement, conflict management, strategic planning, diversity-equity-inclusion, and the design and validation of personnel decision systems.

Dr. Harvey’s career includes serving as a past Senior Fellow at the Center for Excellence in Public Leadership (CELP) at George Washington University for approximately twenty years. At CELP, he was a core faculty member in multiple executive development programs, using action learning and other techniques to strengthen the capabilities of high-potential managers (e.g., leadership, policy analysis, strategic change, etc.) Before starting his independent consulting practice, Dr. Harvey spent over eight years providing internal consulting and human resources research services at leading private sector companies (Merrill Lynch, Prudential). In this capacity, he developed and evaluated personnel decision systems and helped lead large-scale employee survey efforts. He also has over ten years of experience advising partnerships between small/emerging firms and large government contracting companies (NCR, IBM, EDS, Dyncorp-International).

Kristen Medley-Proctor, Ph.D. | Adjunct Instructor

Ph.D., Industrial-Organizational Psychology, George Washington University
B.A., Psychology, Hampton University

Dr. Kristen Medley-Proctor, an adjunct instructor at UMBC Shady Grove since 2019, is currently a member of the Senior Executive Service at the Social Security Administration. Kristen entered the Federal government as an intern in 1993 and spent much of her professional career in the Human Resources/Human Capital departments within various agencies, including the Office of Personnel Management, Department of Labor, and the Department of the Interior. Over the past 20 years, Kristen has served in various capacities in support of Human Capital Management within the Federal government, including Chief Learning Officer, Associate Commissioner, Executive Director, Program Advisor, and Personnel Management Specialist. Kristen has led multiple programs and organizations charged with developing, implementing, and sustaining a robust and relevant talent management strategy. This includes training and workforce development programs, strategic workforce and succession planning programs, and programs to support target populations such as those with disabilities. She has also directed comprehensive personnel management programs, including both policy development and direct delivery of services.

Kristen received a Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational psychology from the George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Hampton University. Kristen resides in Columbia, Maryland with her husband and two children.

Shari Metzger (Jurik), Ph.D. | Adjunct Instructor

Ph.D., Applied Developmental Psychology, UMBC

Dr. Shari R. Metzger (Jurik), an adjunct instructor here at UMBC-Shady Grove since 2017, earned her Ph.D. in Applied Developmental Psychology at UMBC-main campus. Her dissertation focused on children’s math utility conceptions (how useful children think math is outside of the school context) and how those conceptions relate to their parents’ conceptions and their math achievement. More generally, Dr. Metzger’s research interests include schooling and educational development, children’s conceptions of mathematics and how those conceptions relate to motivation, home experiences, and achievement, and program evaluation.

In addition to her research, Dr. Metzger serves as a Research Analyst for Prince George’s Community College and consults with the Career Center at UMBC, primarily with their graduating student first destination data.

Learn more by visiting Dr. Metzger’s LinkedIn profile. Dr. Metzger can be reached at smetz2@umbc.edu.

Theodore H. (Ted) Rosen, Ph.D. | Founding Graduate Program Director and Adjunct Faculty Emeritus

Ph.D., Industrial-Organizational Psychology, George Washington University
M.S., Experimental Psychology, Temple University

Dr. Rosen served as the UMBC Psychology Department’s Associate Program Director, and Director of the MPS: Industrial-Organizational Psychology Program from 2008 until 2016. His previous experience includes serving on the faculty of the Management Department, and served as the Director of the Program in Organizational Behavior and Development at The George Washington University School of Business. Dr. Rosen instructed graduate level courses in the MBA, Project Management (distance and classroom formats) Management Information Systems, and the Executive Management Information Systems Programs.

Dr. Rosen holds a doctorate degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, and has over 30 years management consulting, contracting and research experience, including service at US Postal Service Headquarters and the US Office of Personnel Management Headquarters. He completed international executive development assignments in Romania, Egypt and Albania and continues to present management development workshops for visiting international executives in Washington, DC. Dr. Rosen also presents lectures and shares research at professional conferences, both in the US and abroad. He continues his work as the Principal Consultant of his own firm. In 2016, Dr. Rosen was recognized for his contributions to the field throughout his career by the Personnel Testing Council of Metropolitan Washington, receiving its Distinguished Service Award.

Ethan Sanders, M.S. | Adjunct Instructor

M.S., Applied Behavior Science, Johns Hopkins University

Mr. Ethan S. Sanders, an adjunct professor here at UMBC-Shady Grove since 2011, is a Fellow in ICF’s Human Capital Services group. In this role, he serves as a thought-leader in the practice of Human Performance Improvement. He has provided human performance consulting services to clients in the public, non-profit, military, and private sectors for nearly 20 years. Prior to joining ICF Mr. Sanders was president and CEO of Sundial Learning Systems and Director of Organizational Development for the US Navy’s Human Performance Center. Prior to these positions, Mr. Sanders was manager of instructional design for the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD). While at ASTD, he led the research and writing of two major competency studies, and redesigned several of ASTD’s courses.

He is the co-author of Handbook for Workplace Learning, Models for Learning Technologies, Models for Workplace Learning and Performance, Performance Intervention Maps: 36 Strategies for Solving Your Organization’s Problems, HPI Essential, ASTD Distance Learning Yearbook, and the ASTD course “Human Performance Improvement in the Workplace.” Mr. Sanders teaches several of ASTD’s courses offered through public and corporate seminars. He holds a master’s degree in applied behavior science from Johns Hopkins University.

You can view Mr. Sanders‘ public LinkedIn profile here.

John W. Sigmon, M.P.H. | Adjunct Instructor

M.P.H., University of North Carolina
B.A., Western Illinois University

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 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.

Learn more by visiting www.johnsigmon.com.

Jasmine Snyder, Ph.D. | Adjunct Instructor

Ph.D., Applied Organizational Psychology, Hofstra University

Dr. Jasmine Snyder is an I-O Psychologist with over 10 years of experience. Her career has included developing, validating, and administering human capital solutions for selection, succession planning, leadership development, organizational effectiveness, and employee engagement. She has served as both an internal and external consultant for Fortune 500 companies and government organizations.

Dr. Snyder enjoys teaching in addition to her full-time work and has taught I-O and HRM courses at universities across the country. Her research interests include exploring the impact of cultural differences and biases in employment practices. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from The Pennsylvania State University, a Master’s degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the University of New Haven and a Ph.D. in Applied Organizational Psychology from Hofstra University. She currently works as a Personnel Research Psychologist for the United States Secret Service

Rebecca Thompson, Ph.D. | Adjunct Instructor

Ph.D., Industrial Organizational Psychology, Texas A&M

Rebecca Thompson received her Ph.D in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Texas A&M University in 2013 and has taught at the University of Baltimore, Gettysburg College, and George Mason University. Prior to this, she worked as a postdoctoral research associate at the Center for Work-Family Stress, Safety, and Health. She also taught as an instructor at the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University. She has experience working across disciplines within and outside of psychology including clinical/health, sociology and management. She has worked on multiple grant funded projects including the NSF ADVANCE research team at Texas A&M and the NIH funded Work Family & Health Network which comprises eight institutions across the United States.

Her research interests include: the relationship and facilitation of work and non-work roles, occupational health and well-being, and flexible work arrangements. She also studies personality and individual differences as well as the multiple facets of the mentoring relationship. She is a member of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, the Academy of Management, the Work and Family Researchers Network and the Society for Occupational Health Psychology.

Rachel Venaglia, Ph.D. | Adjunct Instructor

Ph.D., Social Psychology, University of Maryland
M.S., Social Psychology, University of Maryland
B.S., Psychology, Lafayette College

Rachel Venaglia earned her Ph.D. in Social Psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park in May 2019. She also holds a B.S. in Psychology from Lafayette College and M.S. in Social Psychology from the University of Maryland. Her dissertation examined how people’s unique definitions of love (i.e., their love prototypes) act as a source of positive illusions in their romantic relationships, such that they see their partner’s traits, feelings, and behaviors in a way that is consistent with their definition of love, above and beyond the reality of their partner’s actual traits, feelings, and behaviors. Her research interests broadly involve understanding the ways in which interpersonal relationships and authenticity contribute to wellbeing.

Dr. Venaglia’s interests in wellness extend to her many campus leadership involvements at the University of Maryland. She is a highly active campus advocate for graduate student mental health, having led efforts in collaboration with the Dean’s Office in the Behavioral and Social Sciences College to develop strategies that proactively and reactively address graduate student needs.

Aashna Waiwood, Ph.D. | Adjunct Instructor

Ph.D., Industrial-Organizational Psychology, University of South Florida

Dr. Aashna Waiwood is a new adjunct instructor at UMBC-Shady Grove starting in Fall of 2024, teaching I-O Psychology. She is a Personnel Psychologist with the United States Department of Defense, and uses her knowledge of attitudes, careers, occupational health, and statistics in conducting research on military recruiting. Before starting this role, she had prior experience teaching undergrad I-O and OHP courses, as well as some consulting work on the use of personality and cognitive testing in selection and retention.

She earned her Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at the University of South Florida in 2024. Her dissertation focused on women’s work-family identity harmonization in their postpartum return-to-work phase, and the role of remote work in this process. Her research interests more broadly fall into three buckets: (a) occupational health and well-being, (b) the work-family interface, and (c) remote work, and she has a particular interest in maternity-related work experiences. Her research has been cited over 300 times, has been published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, and she has almost two dozen conference presentations to-date. Teaching is her true passion, and she is thrilled to be working with students again!