Making Connections Committee

Making Connections Committee

Making Connections Committee

The Making Connections Committee enhances the experience of OB members by helping all members feel at home in the division, welcoming new members, promoting research excellence, facilitating career progression, and integrating research with practice.

What we do

Helping members feel at home

We run the OB Ambassador Program to build an inclusive, welcoming environment. Ambassadors greet and connect with members at OB-sponsored events throughout the annual meeting.

Welcoming new members

Through the Adopt-A-Member Program, seasoned members support newcomers at AOM. We also host the "New to OB?" professional development workshop and an annual Networking Social.

Promoting research excellence

The Research Incubator PDW supports doctoral students, junior faculty, and international scholars with working manuscripts. The Research Roundtable and the Productivity Process share advice from senior scholars.

Facilitating career progression

"Halfway There, But Now What?" guides PhD students midway through their degree, from launching the dissertation to navigating the job market. "How to Manage Research Collaborations" supports scholars at any stage.

Integrating research with practice

Our session on publishing in translational outlets brings researchers and senior journal editors together to discuss how scholarly work can reach managers and shape real-world practice.

 

Current leadership

 

The committee is led by a chair and two co-chairs who direct its programming across the membership.

 
   
      Anna Lennard      
Committee chair
     
Anna Lennard
     
Indiana University
   
   
      Nitya Chawla      
Committee co-chair
     
Nitya Chawla
     
University College London
   
   
      Lauren Locklear      
Committee co-chair
     
Lauren Locklear
     
Texas Tech University
   
 

Recent chairs

Shannon Taylor · 2017
Adam Stoverink · 2018
Beth Campbell · 2019–2020
Margaret Luciano · 2021–2022
Kate Zipay · 2022–2024

MCC volunteers

The Making Connections Committee brings together members from across our community to build mentorship, networking, and engagement programming. These are the volunteers who make that work possible.

Troy Smith
University of Oklahoma
troy.smith@ou.edu
Brad Winn
Utah State University
brad.winn@usu.edu
Kate Zipay
Purdue University
kzipay@purdue.edu
Tobias Dennerlein
Purdue University
tdennerl@purdue.edu
Richard Gardner
Brigham Young University
richard.gardner@byu.edu
Kylie Rochford
University of Utah
kylie.rochford@eccles.utah.edu
Nitya Chawla
University of Minnesota
nchawla@umn.edu
Semin Park
Penn State University
semin.park@psu.edu
Virgil Fenters
William & Mary
virgil.fenters@mason.wm.edu
Anna Lennard
Oklahoma State University
anna.lennard@okstate.edu
Manuel Vaulont
Northeastern
m.vaulont@northeastern.edu
Edwyna Hill
University of South Carolina
Edwyna.Hill@moore.sc.edu
Matthew Deeg
Abilene Christian University
mdd21a@acu.edu
Amy Bartels
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
amy.bartels@unl.edu
Stefan Berger
University of Groningen
s.berger@rug.nl
Johan van de Brake
University of Groningen
h.j.van.de.brake@rug.nl
Urlich Leicht-Deobald
Trinity College Dublin
ulrich.leicht-deobald@tcd.ie
Insiya Hussain
University of Texas
insiya.hussain@mccombs.utexas.edu
Lauren Locklear
Texas Tech
lauren.locklear@ttu.edu
Bailey Bigelow
University of Utah
Bailey.Bigelow@eccles.utah.edu
Ben Rogers
Boston College
benjamin.rogers@bc.edu
Sophie Pychlau
Iowa State
spychlau@iastate.edu
Tim Kundro
UNC Chapel Hill
timothy_kundro@kenan-flagler.unc.edu
Ji Kim
Michigan State
kimjikou@msu.edu
Marla White
Virginia Tech
wmarla@vt.edu
Remy Jennings
Florida State
rjennings@business.fsu.edu

Frequently asked questions

How does the Making Connections Committee work in the OB Division?
The Making Connections Committee is a standing committee of the OB Division. Its primary goal is to develop and nurture relationships among members by fostering connections among new members and supporting high-quality relationships around research, teaching, and career progression.
What can the committee do for me?
We help you meet other OB members, both new and seasoned, and form relationships based on shared research and teaching interests and across career stages. To support those connections, the committee sponsors events such as the OB Research Incubator and other professional development workshops at the annual meeting, where you can find members with similar interests and meet potential collaborators.
How can I build future research collaborations through the committee?
We help members form relationships that strengthen their research. For example, the OB Research Incubator PDW assists doctoral students, junior faculty, and international scholars with working manuscripts, and the Productivity Process PDW offers interactive publishing advice for doctoral students and junior faculty.
What is the OB New Member Networking and Research Forum?
This committee-sponsored event is aimed at members who have joined in the last three years. It is an opportunity to meet other members and talk informally about shared research interests.
How can I recognize committee members at the meeting?
Look for members wearing a bright OB blue sticker at the AOM annual meeting. Committee members are present at all OB-sponsored events.
Where can I find and contact committee members?
Current leadership is listed on this page. You can also find committee members at every OB-sponsored event, where they wear the blue stickers, and reach out to them directly there.
How can I become a member of the committee?
It is easy to get involved. Email one of the committee chairs, or come to any OB-sponsored event and tell us you would like to join. Learn more on the Making Connections programs page or through Get Involved.