HR professional recognized for career contributions in psychology

The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychologists (SIOP) has awarded Alexander Alonso, alum of FIU’s industrial and organizational psychology program, the Distinguished Career Contributions Practice Award.

The annual award is given in recognition of distinguished early career contributions to the practice of industrial and organizational psychology. Alonso, who received his doctorate in 2003 from FIU, will be honored in April 2013 during SIOP’s annual conference in Houston, Texas.

Alexander Alonso

“This award means a lot because you are selected by your peers,” Alonso said. “It means that what I have done to this point in my career has had a positive effect on society and has helped others – that is ultimately what I have always wanted to do.”

As the director for Competencies Research for the Society for Human Resource Management, Alonso works for the world’s largest human resources professional association with more than 260,000 members. He is responsible for studying what makes a successful HR professional in any environment.

“I have always been extremely inquisitive by nature, and I have been very fortunate to work with so many wonderful colleagues who have fueled my inquisitiveness and fostered my desire to know more and, more importantly, apply what I know,” Alonso said.

Alonso has published works in peer-reviewed journals such as Journal of Applied Psychology, International Journal of Selection and Assessment, Personality and Individual Differences, Quality and Safety in Health Care, and Human Resources Management Review. He has also served as chairperson for the SIOP International Affairs Committee and participated as a member of the SIOP Professional Practice and Master Tutorial Committees. Additionally, he was vice president for Programs at the Personnel Testing Council of Metropolitan Washington. He is a co-author for a recurring column on international practice for The Industrial Psychologist.

The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology is a division within the American Psychological Association and an organizational affiliate of the Association for Psychological Science. Its members represent the clinical and practice aspects of industrial and organizational psychology. SIOP promotes human welfare through various applications of psychology to all types of organizations providing goods or services.

By Ayleen Barbel Fattal