 Gateway Industrial-Organizational Psychologists |
The GIOP Executive Team
Clair (Reynolds) Kueny, Ph.D., President
Clair (Reynolds) Kueny, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Psychological Science Department at Missouri University of Science and Technology, and also serves
as the department's Assistant Chair of Graduate Studies. She teaches graduate courses in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Organizational Development, and Employee Affect and Behavior. At the undergraduate level, she teaches on personality theory and undergraduate organizational psychology. Her research interests focus on reactions and interactions surrounding employee discretionary workplace behaviors, employee stress and well-being, and employee fit. Additionally, she has a special interest in working with healthcare professionals and applying I/O principals to the healthcare realm. As part of this interest, Clair works closely with healthcare organizations in rural Missouri, specifically looking at organizational processes to improve patient care and interprofessional team dynamics among healthcare professionals.
Clair earned BS degrees in Psychology and Political Science at Truman State University, and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology at Saint Louis University. Most of Clair's free time is spent corralling her two girls, Charlie and Killian, as well as her husband Steve, and two dogs, Mack and Hurley. The Kueny family also grows giant pumpkins and takes them to competitions across the MidWest!
Joseph Gier, Ph.D., Membership Director
Joseph Gier is the President, Superior TalentManagement, LLC, and the Vice President, Consulting Services for EASI·Consult®. In these roles, he is responsible for
the design and implementation of leadership assessment and development programs, along with non-leader pre-employment selection programs, for numerous clients. Throughout his career, Joe has designed, conducted and directed “award winning” leadership assessment and development programs that have been conducted in over 15 countries throughout the world. Previously, Joe was Vice President at Aon Consulting (and its predecessors HRStrategies and ASI), where he provided consulting services to various high technology, manufacturing, financial services, and health care companies.
Prior to consulting, Joe worked in a major retail company, and for six years with two large telecommunications companies. In these positions, Joe established and directed succession planning and leadership readiness programs in the three companies. He was also responsible for designing, implementing, validating, and maintaining assessment programs for sales, customer service, technical, and leadership positions.
Joe holds a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior from the University of Nebraska and an M.A. in Psychology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He is a licensed psychologist in the State of Missouri, and he previously served as Program Chair for GIOP.
Lillian Schell is a Master’s student studying I-O Psychology at Missouri University of Science and Technology. She received her Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology from Truman State University in 2021. Lillian currently works as a graduate teaching assistant for the Psychology Department and as a graduate research assistant in the Applied Psychology Lab. She is currently aiding research to investigate whether a student’s status as declared or undeclared influences subsequent academic success. Lillian’s Master’s Thesis concerns how virtual interviews affect the quality of interviewer ratings and interviewer fatigue. Lillian is currently an intern at Dot Foods Inc. There she is evaluating the tests used for selection and development to determine if those tests are helping the company make informed decisions.
In her free time, Lillian likes to cook and is learning how make ceramics.
Program Chair (open position)
Rob Synovec works for BJC HealthCare. He supports employee engagement and retention initiatives,
performance management, onboarding, employee surveys, and HR analytics. Rob also teaches classes through the BJC Institute for Learning and Development. Prior to joining BJC, Rob worked for IBM Talent Management Solutions, where he supported survey, assessment, and analytics projects for external clients.
Rob earned his M.A. degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the University of Missouri – St. Louis, and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. His research focuses on effects of narcissism on social judgments including trust and hirability. Rob has also taught courses on Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management at the University of Missouri – St. Louis.
Rob has presented at annual conferences for the Society of Industrial-Organizational Psychology (SIOP) and has co-authored work featured in Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice. In addition to GIOP, Rob is also a member of the St. Louis Organization Development Network, and the Human Resource Management Association of Greater St. Louis.
Allison Burrus, Ph.D., Secretary/Historian and Webmaster
Allison is an Assistant Professor in the Business Department at Illinois College. She teaches undergraduate courses in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management. Her research interests include career calling, time management behaviors, and temporal awareness.
Allison earned her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Marketing from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL. After working for many years in various Accounting roles, she went on to receive her M.B.A. from the University of Illinois - Springfield. During this course work, she developed a passion for research and understanding organizational behavior. Allison went on to receive a Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the University of Missouri - St. Louis.
In her free time, Allison enjoys reading, running, going on adventures with friends, spending time with family, and hanging out with her husband and their dogs.
Jamie Madigan, Ph.D., Past President
Jamie Madigan is an industrial-organizational psychologist with 20 years of experience consulting and working for the private and public sectors. His background
includes work in selection, survey design, pre-employment testing, competency modeling, statistical analysis, program management, structured interviews,
organizational research, surveys, job analysis, test validation, recruiting, and HR metrics. Jamie is a Talent Assessment Manager at Allstate.