UC Merced’s Center for Excellence in Faculty Advancement turned heads in higher education and beyond this past year with research that revealed problems in promotion and tenure decisions such as gender bias and double standards against underrepresented faculty.
These revelations, which led institutions nationwide to rethink their policies, have earned recognition from the American Psychological Association’s Division 14, the field’s leading scientific and professional organization for psychologists who study work environments.
The center (CEFA), a multi-institution group led by Professor Christiane Spitzmueller, UC Merced's vice provost for academic affairs and strategy, received this year’s Raymond A. Katzell award from Division 14, also known as the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
The award recognizes society members whose research work has meaningfully impacted people and public policy by addressing societally relevant issues.
The award's announcement honored Spitzmueller and the CEFA center for research on promotion and tenure that has altered career advancement policy recommendations for faculty at several institutions across the United States.
"The Center for Excellence in Faculty Advancement, with all of the consortium's member institutions, is so deserving of award recognition,” Spitzmueller said. “It is unusual for research work to have such an immediate impact on policies and practices.
“This work would not be possible without UC Merced's support and collaboration, which includes partnership with the Division of Equity, Justice and Inclusive Excellence and Chief Diversity Officer Delia Saenz, along with support from the fabulous staff at the Health Sciences Research Institute, which is managing our grants.”
Spitzmueller also was named a fellow of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. In an announcement, the society cited significant contributions to research into workplace inclusion, mentorship, work-family dynamics and employee development.
The society noted that Spitzmueller has secured over $6.5 million in National Science Foundation grants, along with funding from organizations such as the Gates and Sloan foundations and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.
Photo: UC Merced's Christiane Spitzmueller (front row, third from left) with other fellows of the American Psychological Association's Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
