Submitted by Katherine Yeager, Adjunct Dissertation Chair/Committee Member, College of Leadership & Professional Studies, Abilene Christian University

The 2026 Conference marked the conclusion of the first year of my three-year commitment to serving on the AHRD Board. I remain humbled to have been elected by colleagues to serve in this capacity and do not take the responsibility lightly. I am honored to serve with colleagues and friends whom I have come to know during my 17 years as a member of this great Academy. From my perspective, two things that have remained constant throughout AHRD’s existence: change and the essential role of volunteers.

AHRD was created because our founders chose to act proactively to fill an identified need supporting the advancement of the profession through research and scholarship. The early years were filled with organizing, setting direction, defining who we are, and laying the foundation to sustain the organization in perpetuity. With growth and change comes the ongoing challenge of remaining relevant, particularly during times of uncertainty. 

Over the past 33 years, unwavering volunteer leaders with a passionate belief in the vision and mission of AHRD have guided the Academy through periods of significant change. Many of us remember the adaptations required during the COVID years. The Academy is stronger as change is embraced as an opportunity to work together for sustainability to build a more resilient organization.

AHRD operates as part of a larger professional and academic ecosystem that creates demands for time and financial resources. The AHRD Board is charged with being good stewards of financial resources and the trust given by members to responsibly lead the Academy. Achieving organizational sustainability and resilience requires strategic thinking and timely action. The AHRD Board is committed to positioning the Academy to respond thoughtfully to change by implementing new strategic initiatives to ensure we remain relevant, inclusive, viable, and aligned with our vision and mission well into the future.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of small nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations like AHRD. Becoming involved can feel daunting, especially if you are new to an organization or navigating significant professional milestones such as completing a dissertation or advancing through the tenure process. The irony is that volunteering often provides member support through meaningful connection, professional networking, and opportunities for growth. 

Whether you are new to AHRD or a seasoned veteran, I encourage you to carve out time to become actively involved with one or more Special Interest Groups (SIGs) that reflect your scholarly and professional interests. Conference planning for 2027 is already underway, and opportunities will be available to apply to serve as Associate Track Chair (for those new to the process) or Track Chair (for those with prior experience). Reviewer recruitment will occur over the summer. The roles provide meaningful ways to gain experience, strengthen your professional profile, and most importantly, contribute to the long-term sustainability of AHRD.

My own journey with AHRD began Dr. Fred Nafukho encouraged me to submit a paper from my first doctoral class. Dr. Nafukho took the time to guide me through the submission and presentation processes which helped shape my growth as a scholar. My confidence and participation in the Academy grew as I worked through the dissertation process with the support of my chair, Dr. Jamie Callahan. My mission is to repay the kindness by encouraging others to participate, grow, and prepare to lead AHRD for the foreseeable future.

As we approach the celebration of AHRD’s 33rd anniversary, I invite you to mark May 7, 2026, on your calendar and pause to reflect on how your talents, voice, and leadership can shape the Academy’s future. We have both the opportunity and the responsibility to steward AHRD as a thriving, sustainable scholarly community. With intentional engagement and a shared commitment to our vision, we can ensure that AHRD continues to grow as a resilient, inclusive organization for years to come.

Submitted by Seung Won Yoon, Professor, Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource Development, Texas A&M University

As I write this message as Immediate Past President, I find myself reflecting on the past four years, two as President Elect and two as President. It has been one of the most meaningful, serving, and rewarding learning experiences of my career, and it has deepened my appreciation for what this Academy represents and makes possible.

AHRD is a professional community where people who care deeply about human and workforce development come together to learn, contribute, and make an impact. This includes not only scholars and experts in our field, but also those who are developing, exploring, and working to address real challenges faced by people, teams, organizations, and communities. Our work supports people around us through research and scholarship, connects to practice, and importantly, continues to bring practice more directly into our work.

The recent conference in Dallas, Texas was a very successful one, and one of the most highly attended in recent years. It reminded us that our work matters. The conference is where we welcome newcomers, build and renew relationships, exchange ideas, and see new generations of scholars and practitioners emerge as future leaders. The energy and engagement we witnessed, especially during a volatile and uncertain time, clearly reflected the strength, direction, and future of this community.

I also want to express my sincere appreciation to our Board of Directors, who stayed with me in initiating and advancing important changes. Those collective efforts are reflected in our annual reports and in the progress we continue to make. I am equally grateful to Kathie at GMP, whose dedication and commitment have been instrumental. AHRD would not be what it is today without these colleagues.

Over the past four years, I have learned how much this Academy depends on people who choose to get involved. Every program and initiative exists because someone stepped forward. I encourage you to continue engaging, attend webinars and programs, participate in AHRD mentoring, join Special Interest Groups (SIGs), or get involved in the Program Excellence Network (PEN). These are the spaces where connections deepen and contributions grow.

Getting involved does not simply mean volunteering. It leads to working together on something we deeply care about. In that process, we build some of the most meaningful and lasting relationships with colleagues. In many ways, that is why we exist as a community and what makes this work so fulfilling. If there is one message I hope to leave with you, it is this: reach out and get involved. Small actions, a conversation, a willingness to contribute, and finding time to be present collectively shape the direction and impact of our field.

Finally, I invite you to support an initiative that extends AHRD's reach globally. The AHRD Masterclass podcast continues to connect with individuals around the world who are discovering HRD and its impact. If you are able, please consider supporting the next season: https://givebutter.com/HRD-MasterClass-6

Thank you for your continued engagement and for all that you do to advance our shared mission.

Submitted by Joshua Collins, Associate Professor, Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

The following remarks were delivered by Dr. Joshua Collins at the opening Town Hall Forum of the 2026 AHRD conference in Irving, Texas, on February 11, 2026. At the time, he was serving as President-Elect. The remarks were prepared a few weeks before the conference and are presented verbatim.

Dr. Collins is currently an Associate Professor of HRD at the University of Minnesota and began his term as President of AHRD at the conclusion of the conference on February 13, 2026.

I want to speak directly to the social and political moment we are experiencing in the US, and by extension in many places across the world. The reality is that many of us are carrying far more into this space than a conference agenda. I will be clear about the posture I am taking as I speak to you. What follows is not a typical conference welcome from a President-Elect. I believe leadership in this moment means naming what I have observed and learned and sharing the personal convictions that shape how I understand this moment.

As I do so, I want to name four commitments that I hope ground us: witness, safety, voice, and responsibility. These commitments shape how I am choosing to speak, how I understand this moment, and how I believe our field is positioned under conditions of uncertainty and risk.

I am speaking as myself, for myself, in public, to my colleagues, about what this moment in history has required of me and my community, and how I am making sense of it. I have always intended to make these remarks available in written form as my contribution to the next AHRD Digest. When that happens, they will be my first written remarks as President of this esteemed academy. I long ago made a deliberate decision to share them with you in-person first before publishing them, because some moments require care, not spectacle, and even more importantly because what we are up against is a moving target. Fighting against the level of lawlessness and lack of humanity that I have observed firsthand in my home city of Minneapolis, from people representing the government, requires strategy, commitment, community, and long-term vision. With that framing, I hope you will listen openly and receive what I have to say.

I am happy to be here with you all, but I am also distracted. My heart, mind, and soul are in Minneapolis. Over the last few weeks, so many of us have found ourselves doing things we hoped we would never have to do and seeing things we should never have to see. We have spent time on street corners blowing whistles to draw attention and offer distraction and obstacle so that kids can make it home safely after being dropped off by their school bus. We have stood in political action spaces with thousands of people, only to see media outlets underreport the scale of our resistance as “a few hundred,” while the federal government labels us domestic terrorists. In moments like this, the line between truth and distortion becomes dangerously unclear.

You want to talk about terror? Teens and young children have been chased down by armed, masked people claiming to represent the federal government, without identifying themselves, without presenting warrants, without answering any questions, while issuing threats, literally holding children hostage to get to the parents, and using lethal force against both US citizens and immigrants. Like so much of what is happening, it’s illegal, but that doesn’t seem to matter.

Judges order them to court, and they simply don’t show up. They do as they please. They aren’t held accountable. And sadly, many people who live here still applaud them as heroes.

These masked men, and it should be pointed out they are mostly men, murdered my neighbors Renee and Alex and then smeared their names afterward, like so many who came before them in a country that built its legacy on systemic violence. I must tell you, I am not ok. I know many of you are not as well.

What I am describing is plainly unacceptable and has ramifications for our work as a discipline that invests in the development of people, communities, and organizations. There can be no justice without safety, and for any of us to be safe, we all have to be. While we are here together, listen with intention and speak with care. People may be struggling in ways you don’t know about or making decisions under circumstances that carry real consequence. When conditions are this unstable, this unpredictable, we must act in ways that protect our ability to keep doing the work and to keep each other safe.

Some of the most consequential HRD happening right now is unfolding far beyond formal institutions altogether. Over the past month, more than 30,000 people across Minnesota have been trained as legal observers to witness and document the constitutional and human rights violations happening in our streets. This happened rapidly, under pressure, and in response to real and immediate harm. People stepped up in their own communities, shared knowledge, coordinated learning, and built capacity together because it was needed.

Despite claims to the contrary, there is no shadow “Antifa” organization behind this work. There is no movement of paid protestors and professional agitators, no manufactured hierarchy, no external command structure issuing statements and directives. What exists instead is collective learning, distributed leadership, mutual accountability, and people doing the work with and for one another. That is our field in its most elemental form. Authentic transformation made possible not because conditions are ideal, but precisely because they are not.

I am acutely aware that I am the first openly gay male executive leader of this Academy, and the first millennial to hold this role, at a time when organizational, social, and political challenges are converging all at once. Because of my positionality, many of these lessons are not new to me. I learned early that there was no guarantee that the life my parents and grandparents enjoyed would also be mine, that there is no single right way to show up, no singular script for courage, and no uniform path toward collective survival. Queer communities have long understood that movements are sustained not by purity tests or identical participation, but by people contributing what they can, when they can, taking the risks they are able to bear. That understanding has shaped both how I lead and how I interpret this moment.

Back in Minneapolis, some of my friends are in the streets every single day. Others show up when we can. Some businesses have closed but remain open to provide free resources to the community. Others are equally clear about their values and commitments but remain open for business as usual because they have bills to pay and families to feed. Some people are hand delivering food to those who can’t leave their homes. Others are donating money or necessities. Some yell. Some sing. Some physically march but don’t say much at all. Some share their thoughts and insights on social media to get the word out. Others, equally aware of what is at stake, move with greater silence, privacy, and intention because they cannot afford to be financially, professionally, or physically targeted. It all matters and it’s all needed. No one is diminished for the limits of their contribution when they are actively doing what they can.

It is also important to say this is not new. As AHRD’s existing and ongoing antiracism work reminds us, Black, Latino, Asian and Asian American, Indigenous communities, immigrants, queer people, and others have long lived under governmental surveillance and with state sanctioned violence — these brave resistors have been naming these realities for generations.

What is different is not the truth of claims long made by these groups of people, but that a broader set of people are now being directly confronted with the truth and reality of violence and loss of human dignity. This moment is not about revelation. In my opinion, it underscores what we already knew about this country’s lack of reckoning with its racist foundations, its erasure of cultures, enslavement of peoples, and exploitation of labor and bodies. AHRD’s efforts toward antiracism are even more important than ever.

Our values are clearly expressed through these kinds of sustained commitments. Through the work we choose to support. Through whose knowledge we elevate. Through the increased diversity of our board and membership base. Through the sessions we convene, the questions we legitimize, and the people we refuse to marginalize even when it would be easier to look away. If you look across this conference program, you will see sustained attention to subjects such as immigration, safety, diversity, labor precarity, racialized harm, and collective survival. That is not accidental. It is the very work that counters the forces of constraint, control, and intimidation. I am proud of the work you are all doing.

As we enter the next couple of days together, my hope is not that we arrive at easy answers or recycled solutions. My hope is that we resist the false binaries that keep us angry with each other rather than the people and institutions that seek to do and are doing actual harm. I can assure you, I am not leaving anyone behind. We move forward together, or we do not move forward at all. As I stated earlier, there is no single right way to accomplish that vision, so I invite you to march with me as we figure it out together.

Submitted by Seung-hyun (Caleb) Han, Associate Professor, Department of Lifelong Education, Administration, and Policy. University of Georgia

Dear Members of the Academy of Human Resource Development,

For age is opportunity no less
Than youth itself, though in another dress,
And as the evening twilight fades away
The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, my favorite poet, offers words that feel especially fitting for this moment in our Academy's life. His poetic imagery reminds us that transition is not diminishment. It is revelation. As seasons change, what has always been present—our collective wisdom, our quiet acts of service, our enduring commitment to human resource development—becomes even more visible and more necessary.

We are living through a remarkable shift within AHRD. New scholars, practitioners, and leaders are stepping forward with novel questions, new methods, and renewed energy. At the same time, long-standing members continue to anchor our community with experience, institutional legacy, and stewardship shaped by years of learning and service. I believe that this is not a passing of the torch that leaves anyone behind. It should be a widening of the circle. It is the Academy becoming more fully itself: an inclusive community where the future is strengthened by what has been faithfully built, and where what has been built is renewed by those who will carry it onward.

Higher education, where we live, is facing profound pressures—resource constraints, shifting expectations, polarized discourse, and real human fatigue. Many of you have carried heavy loads such as mentoring students through uncertainty, sustaining research agendas amid disruption, leading programs with limited support, and still making room for community. If there is a word that describes AHRD at its best, it is resilience—not as stubbornness, but as a disciplined hope rooted in purpose. We have demonstrated that we can adapt without losing our core, innovate without losing our humanity, and disagree without surrendering respect.

This year, we enter what the luna calendar describes as the Year of the Red Horse. Let us take that metaphor with intention. The red horse is not only a symbol of speed or power; it can represent forward motion with courage, endurance over distance, and the capacity to carry others along the journey. A red horse moves decisively, but it also requires trust—between rider and mount, between companions traveling the same road, between those who lead and those who follow. In the same way, the next chapter of AHRD will not be written by any one individual or clan. It will be written by a community that chooses trust over suspicion, collaboration over isolation, and shared purpose over personal preference.

In this spirit, I invite each of us to make a simple, but solid commitment in the conference ahead—to show up for one another with generosity, to extend trust in good faith, and to take shared responsibility for the Academy's future. Mentor someone who is just entering the field. Reach across SIGs—methodological, institutional, geographic—and form new partnerships. Engage our conversations with rigor and with respect. Support the work of our leadership, committees, conferences, and journals. And when disagreements arise, let us practice the very "HRD" we teach: listening deeply, learning together, and building forward.

Longfellow's verse "stars, invisible by day" offer one more lesson. Some strengths appear only when conditions change. This transition is not simply a challenge to manage; it is an opportunity to see new possibilities that were always there—new leaders, new ideas, new forms of engagement, and new ways to serve the community. If we move together, with the steady courage of the red horse and the shared vision of a community that believes in people, then the Academy's best work may still be ahead.

Happy New Year and thank you for your commitment to AHRD—your scholarship, your mentorship, your service, and your care for one another.

With respect and gratitude,
Seung-hyun (Caleb) Han

Submitted by Karen R. Johnson, Associate Professor, Department of Learning Technologies, University of North Texas

Time moves so quickly! I often ask - Where does time go? In just a few days 2025 will end. Two months’ time will be a significant milestone for me - I would have served one year of a three-year term as a member of the AHRD Board of Directors. Serving as a member of the AHRD Board has been a meaningful learning experience for me. I have gained a deeper understanding of the responsibilities that come with stewarding a professional academic community. I have gained institutional knowledge and strengthened my ability to contribute to the long-term sustainability and impact of the Academy in shaping the future of HRD.

Also, in less than two months, we will experience the 33rd AHRD International Conference in the Americas. Although over the years I have always looked forward to attending the conference, I am even more enthused about the upcoming conference especially initiatives that I am involved with albeit only minimally in some instances.

Since I joined the AHRD Board, one of my responsibilities is to support the Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and so I eagerly anticipate the conference SIG meeting. The SIGs are growing not only in number but also in scope and functionality. Through consistent meetings, the SIGS have been increasing their impact and visibility within AHRD providing a space for every member of the Academy to dive deeply into a particular topic where specialized knowledge and best practices are shared. Over the years, my active involvement in SIGs was another avenue for me to network and build community and collaborations with others of similar professional interests.

I am also excited about the AHRD Mentoring Partner Program and cannot wait to see what is lined up as we celebrate the 10th anniversary. Ten years ago, I was paired with a senior member of the Academy, Dr. Ron Jacobs. From our mentoring partnership, I have gained greater self-awareness and confidence and increased commitment and involvement in AHRD in a variety of leadership roles. To this day, Dr. Jacobs and I have maintained contact and currently we are actively collaborating on a goal we had originally set during our formal mentoring partnership experience a decade ago.

The Case Study Competition is a new initiative that is launched directly out of the Program Excellence Network (PEN). The competition provides an opportunity for students to apply theory and knowledge to real world organizational problems while bridging the gap between academic learning and practice. I am excited about this opportunity that brings a new dimension to the conference to engage student participants on a deeper level.

Quite frankly, I am looking forward to the entire conference experience. The theme for me is very eye-catching Engaged, Healthy, and Whole: Driving Learning and Performance for an Empowered Workforce. This takes me back to my opening sentence - time moves so quickly - you see it moves so fast because there is always so much to do. On weekdays, I work more than an eight-hour day. I’m sure you can relate to this too. It’s so easy to get bogged down with work in an effort to meet numerous deadlines. So, where do we find balance? How do we stay engaged, healthy, and whole? I can’t want to learn more about engagement and well-being and I can’t wait to reconnect with my AHRD family in my backyard – Irving, Texas!

Enjoy the holidays and see you soon!

Submitted by Eunbi Sim, Assistant Professor in Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning, Boise State University

As I reflect on the 2025 Asian AHRD Conference in Bangkok, I am filled with deep gratitude and renewed hope for our field. This year’s gathering beautifully showcased the power of intercultural collaboration, with scholars from across Asia and beyond engaging in rich dialogue on the future of Human Resource Development (HRD).

The conference program itself highlighted emerging and vital themes in our field, including organizational diagnosis and development, sustainable HRD, critical perspectives to HRD, leadership and positive psychology, HR innovation, entrepreneurship, and the rapidly growing influence of AI and digital transformation in HRD. These themes reflect a field that is not only evolving but also responding thoughtfully to global social, technological, and cultural shifts.

Our Thai hosts offered exceptional hospitality, and I want to extend heartfelt appreciation for their care in crafting such a memorable experience. From the beautifully prepared meals to the seamless coordination by staff and volunteers, every detail reflected their generosity and deep commitment to creating a welcoming environment for scholarly exchange. The warmth we felt throughout the conference made it easy for genuine connection, collaboration, and learning to flourish.

After the conference, I spent time exploring Bangkok, and those days added another layer of reflection. I was struck by the profound spiritual connection that Thai culture maintains with the land, nature, and community spaces. Whether in temples, public gardens, or along the river, I sensed an honoring of place and spirit that is often overlooked in Western contexts. This relational and spiritual grounding invites us, as HRD scholars and practitioners, to consider how cultural wisdom can expand our approaches to development, learning, and organizational life.

The 2025 conference reminded me once again that Asian HRD scholarship offers not only intellectual insights but also cultural, relational, and spiritual perspectives that broaden our understanding of what it means to support human and organizational flourishing.

As we carry these lessons forward, I warmly invite you to join us at the 2026 Asian AHRD Conference in Tokyo, Japan, where we will continue to deepen our global dialogue and strengthen our collective commitment to inclusive, culturally grounded, and innovative HRD scholarship. I look forward to seeing many of you there and continuing this meaningful journey together.

Submitted by Shinhee Jeong , AHRD Board Member; Associate Professor, University of Texas at Tyler

One of the greatest joys of being a faculty member is the opportunity to work with students on a wide variety of topics, which keeps me a lifelong learner. How wonderful it is to be both a teacher and a learner!

For a long time, I believed that charisma was essential to effective leadership. I thought leaders needed authority to influence followers, so I tried to project that in my interactions with students. I felt I had to know everything—or at least appear to. Over time, I realized that approach wasn’t authentic for me. I struggled for a while, unsure of what kind of leader (advisor) I wanted to be.

The turning point came in my mentoring and coaching approach: “I don’t know everything, but we will figure things out together.” Embracing this vulnerability was liberating. Not only did it allow me to be myself, but it also helped us work more effectively as a ‘team’.

This personal journey has made me reflect on leader vulnerability—the intentional acknowledgment of limitations and uncertainties to foster trust and collaboration. Vulnerability is not weakness or a loss of authority. Instead, it enables openness, flexibility, and authentic engagement.

In today’s rapidly changing world, moving from a VOCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) to a BANI (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, Incomprehensible) environment, no leader can know everything. Vulnerable leaders acknowledge their limitations, admit mistakes, and genuinely seek feedback. These behaviors require courage, yet they strengthen relationships and build trust—qualities essential for effective leadership today.

As you navigate your own leadership—whether with students, colleagues, or teams—remember that you don’t have to have all the answers. Being authentic, showing curiosity, and embracing vulnerability can build stronger connections and foster learning for everyone. Give yourself permission to lead in a way that feels true to you–that is where real growth happens.

Submitted by Dr. Claretha Hughes , AHRD Board Member; Professor, University of Arkansas

For as many years as I can remember, I have been a member of my family, different schools, churches, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and subgroups within all those entities. Being a member comes with both privileges and responsibilities. The level of understanding of the privileges and responsibilities is often determined by the member experience that one has. Regardless of the entity, most members want to have positive experiences. There are a few exceptions who thrive on negativity and dampens the experiences of their peers. However, in the Academy of Human Resource Development Board, we are striving to find ways to make your member experience the best that it can be.

Personally, I first became a member of AHRD in 2004. I attended my first conference in Estes Park, CO in 2005. I will say that going to Colorado in February and riding up icy mountains without guard rails was indeed a memorable experience. I believe that we all can remember our first experience with the AHRD, which is why member input is so important for the vitality and success of this organization. We are a relatively small academy, so most members know or have heard of other members, but do you know that other members’ experience within the academy? Have you asked them to share their experiences and how the academy has helped or hindered their professional development and success?

I am a realist and recognize that not all individuals are open to hearing the negative facts as I am. I do not like operating with a false sense of security, so I am data driven and want to know as many facts as possible before diving headfirst into memberships with uncharted goals and expectations. Chaos is not always avoidable but can be managed.

AHRD offers many avenues for members to communicate about their experiences, and we want you to share both the good and the bad with us. For example, we know that most members do not want bad food at the conference. See, that little bit of negative information was not too hard to take, so knowing that information allows us to work on ways to fix the situation.

We want our members to have the best experience that AHRD can provide. We cannot provide that experience without your contribution and input. Many of our members volunteer to review conference papers and volunteer in many other unknown areas. We know that professional committee service helps us with our annual reviews and show up in tenure and promotion review packages, but we want you to have positive experiences not just for professional expediency, but also for the benefit of growing and strengthening the AHRD.

We sent out an MVP survey for the first time last year and many of you provided input that has helped us strengthen aspects of the board’s actions in all areas. We will be sending out a Student Survey to find out from students what they want their AHRD experience to be to strengthen and expand future offerings to and with them. We know that many of our students are working adults and have unique needs that are different than traditional students. We want to increase the student member experiences just as we are working to strengthen the member experience for all other members of the AHRD.

Reflecting on my time as a doctoral student, I remember many years ago at Colorado State University when our program director, Jerry Gilley, first encouraged us to get involved with AHRD. His passion was contagious, and that feeling has stayed with me. Now, observing our work from the boardroom and serving at the University of Texas at Tyler, I understand more than ever the vital role we play.

Like many organizations, I believe we're at a crucial moment. Rapid changes in higher education, the global economy, and government policies are testing the foundation of our institutions and our field. This is not a time for hesitation but an exciting opportunity to shape our future and stay true to our mission (https://www.ahrd.org/page/about-ahrd), which is "To develop a community of interest recognized as a global human resource development center of excellence that promotes ethical research and practice."

To help us adapt to this changing environment, a board committee was formed, led by Dr. Claretha Hughes and myself as co-chair. Along with Dr. Terry Maltbia, we examined the value AHRD provides to its members. Under Dr. Hughes’s leadership, a research project and analysis occurred, resulting in the creation of a member value proposition (MVP) statement. Over the past year, we collaborated with the Academy to research, analyze, and draft this statement. After the board's final approval, it has become a key tool for communicating our Academy's values.

Our Academy must continue finding ways to communicate the value we provide effectively. Our value proposition, AHRD: Advancing the Science and Practice of Human Resource Development, serves as our guiding principle. More specifically, AHRD is the premier global community dedicated to advancing HRD research and practice. We unite leading scholars, scholar-practitioners, faculty, and professionals with emerging researchers and students to shape the future of work and improve organizational performance worldwide. Through cutting-edge research, evidence-based resources, and inclusive collaboration, AHRD empowers members to elevate their careers, drive innovation, and contribute to the evolving workplace. This statement reflects our commitment to both research and practice.

As we face these external shifts, we must ask ourselves two essential questions:

What is the unique gap that AHRD serves?

We are more than just another professional organization. We serve as the scholarly core of human resource development, dedicated to the systematic study of theories, processes, and techniques that advance our field. We provide a space for intellectual rigor and critical conversations that push HRD forward. This is where we fulfill our mission to "disseminate knowledge" and "encourage the incorporation of research results into HRD degree and professional development programs."

How do we differentiate ourselves in this new environment?

Our core distinction is our dedication to fostering a reciprocal relationship between research and practice, which is a fundamental part of our work. Through innovative research, evidence-based resources, and collaboration, we help members to "grow professionally," "gain recognition" for their efforts, and "build global connections." As outlined in our member value proposition, "AHRD isn’t just a network, it’s a catalyst for impact, growth, and meaningful change in the HRD field." By clearly defining our purpose and unique role, we can navigate this critical time and become more productive, more relevant, and more vital than ever. Although challenging, this opportunity offers a chance to strengthen AHRD's legacy in human resource development and to "provide fellowship for individuals with scholarly and professional interests in human resource development."

Our Next Steps: From Vision to Action

Looking toward our ideal future, I believe our community and organization should concentrate on these key points:

• Communicate Our Value: Spread awareness of our value across every communication channel, from our website to social media, so that all members and prospects understand the benefits we provide.
• Align Our Efforts: Align our initiatives with the four core concepts of the value statement: advancing the field, gaining recognition, encouraging professional growth, and fostering global connections. This will keep our efforts aligned with what matters most to our community.
• Listen and Evolve: Foster a dialogue with our members about how we can best support their professional development, using their feedback to improve our programs and services.

The future looks promising. I am excited about what's ahead and eager to work with all of you to build an even brighter future for AHRD.

Submitted by Sanghamitra Chaudhuri

From feeling lonely, isolated, intimidated, and shy…
 to finding community, belonging, connection, and the confidence to thrive.

As you read those first two lines, did you experience a bit of a rollercoaster of emotions? It is no surprise. The first line evokes the discomfort of feeling lost; the second paints a canvas of hope and optimism — hope inspired by the transformative power of community.

That, at its core, is what AHRD offers. A place where community is not just a concept, but a lived experience. The real question is: how do you find your community?

When I was asked to write a reflection on my first year as a Board member, I hesitated. Do I have enough to share? Wouldn’t it be more impactful after two years? Will my insights be meaningful for all members? These questions gave me a pause.

But then I thought—maybe there is value in sharing the journey while it is happening, especially if it helps someone feel seen, supported, or inspired. So, on a quiet Sunday afternoon, I sat down to reflect not only on my board experience but on the broader journey I have taken within AHRD. I have evolved from a hesitant graduate student to an engaged member and now, a representative voice on the Board.

In this reflection, I want to highlight three key spaces where I have seen the power of community come to life—spaces I now support and advocate for on your behalf. Each one played a role in shaping my sense of belonging, and I hope they can do the same for you.

The Early Days: Finding my Footing

My journey with the Academy began in 2007, as a graduate student at the University of Minnesota. I still remember how I felt; shy, lost, and a little naïve - wondering if I even belonged in this space.

Attending the AHRD conference with a few fellow graduate students was both exciting and overwhelming. Sessions moved fast, and it was difficult to keep up. We struggled to make connections. We were too timid to approach professors, and although a few senior students from our university were present, they were understandably busy with their own commitments.

Back then, I wished for a smaller group with similar interests where we could interact, or longed for a mentor from another university, someone who looked like me and could guide me through the experience.

Those wishes from 2007 are now a reality in 2025. And I will admit—a small part of me is envious of today’s graduate students, who now have access to a dedicated Graduate Student SIG and a thriving AHRD Mentoring Partner Program. These initiatives I believe can transform the experience of being a newcomer in the Academy.

Fast forward a few years; I began my faculty career at The Ohio State University. I happened to stumble into my very first Program Excellence Network (PEN) meeting; I immediately recognized its value. I remember thinking, “why is this so sparsely attended? Why aren't more universities represented?” In my view, every institution participating in AHRD should have a voice in PEN. It is an incredible platform for growth, collaboration, and shared learning around program development.

Today, I am actively engaged in several areas of the Academy that embody the power of smaller, intentional communities. Reflecting on my journey, I would like to share insights from three spaces within AHRD that have not only shaped my experience but continue to enrich the lives of many others.

1.The Evolution of SIGs in AHRD

The Special Interest Groups (SIGs) within AHRD have come a long way over the years. When I first joined the Academy in 2007, I don’t recall SIGs being active. If they did exist, they certainly were not as prominent or visible as they are today. It wasn’t until 2012 that I became involved, starting with the Quantitative SIG and the Scholar-Practitioner SIG.

Later, I joined the effort to conceptualize and launch the India SIG as a steering committee member, eventually serving as its Chair. That experience was a turning point—it showed me the true value of being part of a smaller, focused community united by shared interests and a common purpose.

Back then, members could only join two SIGs, which limited engagement across groups. After feedback from members, the board expanded access, allowing individuals to join as many SIGs as they wanted. This was a game-changer.

This year, we reimagined the SIG experience by launching the SIG Mixer; a lively, well-attended event where over 100 members engaged in multiple roundtable discussions led by various SIGs. No more overlapping morning sessions or tough choices - just pure, collaborative energy.

I encourage all new members to join SIGs that align with your interests. Not only will you build social capital, but you will also find potential collaborators whose research or professional passions align with yours. Currently, there are 16 SIGs in the Academy. If you would like to learn more, please visit https://www.ahrd.org/page/special_interest_groups

2. AHRD Mentoring Partner Program

This flagship program is something I deeply wished existed when I was a student. Let’s face it—our advisors can only do so much given their many responsibilities. Research shows that having multiple developmental relationships with different mentors supports both professional and personal growth, building subject-matter expertise, social capital, and psychosocial support.

When the Mentoring Partner Program started in 2016, it was open only to faculty members. Seeing the tremendous benefits, we have since expanded it to include doctoral students and select master’s students. As one of the coordinating members, I have watched this program grow from a handful of participants to over 150 members whose lives have been touched by this unique initiative.

This year is especially meaningful as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Mentoring Partner Program. I warmly invite seasoned, mid-career, and newer faculty members as well as advanced doctoral students to consider joining this year’s cohort. Needless to say, this milestone year holds special significance for all of us on the coordinating team. To learn more about the program, please visit https://www.ahrd.org/page/mentoring-partner-program

3. Program Excellence Network (PEN)

As a Board representative for PEN, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of this network. PEN is a space where program coordinators and faculty share insights, challenges, and strategies for success. When I first started working as a new faculty member in my college, I often felt like an outlier. I was affiliated with programs in HRD, OD, T&D, or Organizational Leadership—areas that are often housed within Colleges of Education, yet distinctly different from other traditional education-related majors.

PEN provided me with a community of like-minded peers - all striving to make their programs successful. I strongly encourage all program coordinators and faculty who care about growing their programs to participate in PEN meetings. The annual fee is just $100, and many institutions are happy to support this valuable networking and professional development opportunity. But more importantly, what is discussed at PEN should not stay within its walls, rather take those insights home. Let them inspire change in your own program. To learn more about PEN, please visit https://www.ahrd.org/page/program-excellence-network

 Closing Thoughts: From the Other Side of the Fence

Looking back, I am grateful to now be on the other side of the fence. From being a shy graduate student to serving as a Board representative, from being a lost international student to being an Associate Professor at Temple University, AHRD has been a constant presence, offering support and providing spaces where smaller, intentional communities truly thrive. I am proud to contribute to the very programs I once only wished existed.

Whether you are just starting out or looking to deepen your engagement, you should know that you belong here. Find your people. Join a SIG. Participate in the Mentoring program. Attend a PEN meeting.

Because in AHRD, your community is waiting - it just might change your life. 

As I reflect on our recent conference in Arlington/Washington, D.C., I’m filled with both gratitude and optimism. Once again, our community came together to share powerful ideas, present high-quality research, and reaffirm the value of Human Resource Development in today’s rapidly evolving and often turbulent world. From the impact of AI to shifting organizational and employee expectations, it was clear that HRD is not only relevant, but essential in helping individuals and organizations adapt and thrive.

I was especially inspired by the many research papers and sessions that addressed emerging demands and a changing external environment. The insights shared revealed the depth of our field and its growing potential to shape workplaces and society in meaningful ways. These reflections also prompted me to think about where we stand as a community—and what we hope to accomplish together.

As we look ahead, two priorities must be firmly embraced by all of us: sustainable financial health and member growth. Rising operational costs have presented real challenges for our organization, and we’ve launched new fundraising efforts to ensure our long-term viability. Importantly, these financial and environmental challenges are not unique to AHRD. Many professional associations are navigating similar turbulence and seeking new ways to remain relevant and resilient in the present environment.

Equally important is an honest recognition that we may be trying to do too much for the size of our organization. That AHRD offers so many opportunities for service, scholarly exchange, collaboration, and networking is truly a strength. However, modest changes in membership remind us that we—all of us, Board and members alike—need to focus more intentionally on how we grow and sustain our community. I encourage you to remain a long-term member and invite colleagues to join the Academy. In return, AHRD will continue to offer outstanding conference experiences, professional development, and career growth opportunities—resources and connections that few other associations can match.

As president, I can confidently say I wouldn’t choose any other professional organization over AHRD. This is where I’ve found the best colleagues—people who are not only brilliant scholars and scholar-practitioners but who also share a deep passion for developing people and creating long-lasting, positive impact. AHRD is more than a professional association. It’s a community of like-minded individuals committed to making a difference. The good news is that AHRD leadership has already begun thoughtful conversations on how to better coordinate our resources and align our efforts to support these two critical goals. Together, we can shape a future of meaningful growth and greater impact. But that growth and impact will not happen without your support and involvement.

Thank you for your continued commitment to AHRD. Let’s build and grow our Academy and discipline together!

Greetings! As I sit at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, awaiting my flight home to Minneapolis, I feel a profound sense of pride, joy, and optimism after concluding the 2025 AHRD conference in Arlington, VA. I am deeply grateful to every member of our community who made this annual gathering not just a success, but also a heartfelt reunion—a time when we came together to support one another, forge meaningful relationships, and collectively envision and live up to the future of our field. In a year marked by unprecedented challenges and a climate of fear and division, I experienced our conference as a beacon of resilience and genuine human connection. Throughout our time together, I observed firsthand how our conversations were infused with both the stark realities of today and an unwavering belief in our ability to adapt, innovate, thrive, and come together for the greater good.

I was thrilled to see registration reach some of its strongest levels since we resumed in-person events post-pandemic. Returning to Arlington for the second consecutive year felt almost like coming home—an opportunity for me and many others to reconnect with familiar surroundings while tapping into the local resources that Arlington has to offer. I was especially moved by the enthusiasm of first-time conference goers and the dynamic energy of graduate students, whose fresh perspectives enriched our discussions in ways that felt both timely and invigorating. The international attendees and award recipients further reminded me that AHRD’s impact is global, and that our community’s diversity not only strengthens our scholarship but also deepens our shared commitment to advancing the field. 

One of the highlights for me was the Town Hall Forum on artificial intelligence in human resources. I found it incredibly thought-provoking as it brought international perspectives into a lively discussion about how AI can enhance rather than replace the human touch in HR functions. Equally inspiring was Dr. Rassheedah Watts’ keynote address, which challenged me to embrace courageous leadership and practice active allyship every day. Together, the Town Hall and keynote underscored the importance of centering personal experiences and diverse identities in our change efforts—whether those efforts pertain to technology, performance, learning, or other areas of HRD scholarship and practice. Both sessions reaffirmed for me that innovation and ethical leadership are inherently intertwined, reminding us that while technology propels us forward, our collective commitment to inclusivity and human dignity is what truly gives meaning to our progress.

The AHRD awards program was another deeply personal highlight. Celebrating academic and professional excellence in such an inclusive manner made me feel not only proud but also reflective about the diverse paths that have brought us here. Recognizing achievements across various career stages and research areas reaffirmed my belief in the importance of honoring every voice in our community. In the conversations that followed the ceremony, I was struck by our shared commitment to ensuring that recognition opportunities evolve to meet the needs of all members. This thoughtful dialogue reinforced for me how crucial it is to nurture a culture of respect and acknowledgment—a culture that sustains the vibrancy and longevity of our organization and lays the foundation for our future success.

 “Just write! The first draft is always messy. You can edit it later, just get something down on the page and don’t worry about it being perfect!”. I tell my students.

 Later that day, in the shady confines of my office, I hunch over my laptop, spending 53 minutes assembling, disassembling, arranging and rearranging one-and-a-half sentences. Below, acres of pristine white electronic paper gleam in their unspoiled expanse.

 The Perfectionism Demon slouches languidly on my shoulder, eyeing my work with derision. “Where’s the theorisation?”, he scoffs. “Oh sure, why use 20 words when 200 will do?” He jeers. “Call that a conceptual framework?”

 Sound familiar?

 Having recently completed (read: survived) a long, intense writing project, I am on first-name terms with the Perfectionism Demon (Simon). He has narrowed his eyes and shook his horned head at every sentence I have written. I wish I could say that I can now joyfully whip up a quick article (say, for the AHRD Digest) in an hour, but I am still on that journey. In speaking to other scholars, I think a lot of us are. As academics, we are often considered experts in our respective fields, and with that recognition comes the pressure to get things perfect…even if it takes us all night.

I have been fortunate enough to become Associate Editor at Human Resource Development Review, a fabulous journal that promote originality and community within the business, management and organizational studies subdisciplines. My own first journal article was actually in HRDR. I remember reading each thoughtful and constructive comment from the reviewers with a wince – what an obvious thing I had forgotten to do! How stupid of me to leave that out! Of course the manuscript needs that! When joining HRDR at the other side of Manuscript Central, I was curious to see what insights I could glean while managing manuscripts through the revision process. What nuggets of wisdom could I pick up from the famed scholars who write and review for this journal? What magic do they imbue their manuscripts with? How do they respond to the (surely infinitesimal) critiques from reviewers?

It was indeed insightful, but not in the way I had imagined. It may shock you, dear reader, but those celebrated scholars whose work we revere are, it seems, upon close inspection, and despite all signs to the contrary, human. Their submissions are often fantastic, yes, but I have yet to read a manuscript that does not need some degree of tweaking, rewriting, discussion, editing and wrangling before publication. Their first submissions are not the documents that sparkle and gleam from our Adobe Acrobat. To borrow and bastardise a phrase from author Eimear McBride – a manuscript is half-formed thing.

That’s where we – you, me, our colleagues, mentors and supervisors – come in. Paper development workshops, aimless chats, the journal review process, the mind-maps scrawled on the back of an envelope during a Zoom coffee – these are all part of the writing process. We are incredibly fortunate to work within a community of colleagues who give freely of their time to help others in their writing, research, and networking. This is great, but also necessary – no scholar is an island, and it takes a village to raise a child…or manuscript. By the time I get to recommend “Accept as is” to the Editor, this manuscript is not the product of a solitary polymath feverishly scribbling by moonlight, but of collaboration, critique, and conversation – behind-the-scenes teamwork worthy of the best Broadway show. These authors do write well, but not because of some divine spark of genius – because they acknowledge the gaps in their knowledge and seek help to address them. We at the AHRD board are designing more ways of bringing scholars together to thrive in our respective writing projects – watch this space. And of course, if you have an idea, let us know!

I have been reliably informed by people more fashionable than I am (not an especially high bar) that “New Year’s Resolutions” are not in. What is in, is saying that things are in and out, apparently. So, based on nothing more than my own haphazard stumbling through three years of textbook writing, here are my 2025 academic writing ins and outs. What are yours?

 In:

·        Writing Drunk, Editing Sober.

Not literally. (Or maybe literally, I’m not your mother). While people may have pictured Ernest Hemingway – the apocryphal source of this quote – chugging a Papa Doble whilst typing up For Whom the Bell Tolls, ‘write drunk’ refers to writing without inhibition, without stopping to correct the grammar, without pausing to right clickàsynonyms, without halting progress to get things perfect. In other words, to just let it flow. For me, that often means putting in placeholders for that word on the tip of my cerebral tongue or that one citation for that paper that I’m sure I read last August (my manuscripts have more XXX’s than an Amsterdam strip club). Perfect is the enemy of done. You can find that paper later. No one cares about that particular choice of verb.

 ·               Reviewing

As an Associate Editor at two journals, I am contractually obliged to plead for you to do some reviewing. But whether for a journal or for a departmental colleague, it’s the good thing to do. If you need a more selfish reason (no judgement here), reviewing can also improve your own writing, allowing you to critically evaluate works-in-progress without the self-flagellation (or, for some happy few, the rose-tinted glasses) of judging your half-baked manuscript. And importantly, it’s a unique and special part of our journals and scholarly community.

·       Being vulnerable authors, scholars, reviewers and collaborators

“I don’t know” is not an admission of defeat. Humility is the new black.

 ·               Being perfectly imperfect.

Don’t come for me, Martha Stewart.

Out:

·               False modesty

In the dumpster fire that is the world right now, let’s celebrate our achievements, in whatever delicious, Bacchanalian, LinkedIn-posting way we want.  And in turn, let’s celebrate and platform others’ achievements.

·       The Perfectionism Demon

So long, Simon.

 ·               Boot-cut jeans

With apparently no sense of irony, I was going to spend another half-hour/week putting the finishing touches to this article. But you know what? It’s fine the way it is, and it’s my turn to make dinner. Incidentally, anyone who has tasted my cooking has first-hand knowledge of my commitment to imperfection.

 Have a joyful, collaborative, and perfectly imperfect 2025.

Submitted by Cynthia Sims (cynthia.sims@uga.edu)

What might the future look like for graduate education in the field of Human Resource Development? I’m always on the lookout for good resources to help me explore the present and future of graduate education. Thus, I was intrigued by the recent (2024) book The Future of Graduate Education by Chronicle of Higher Education. As this report is not discipline specific, I’d like to share some of its US findings and pose questions that HRD programs should be asking to discern where they are and where they want to be in the graduate school landscape. 

Let’s start with good news. The number of US graduate students from 2002 to 2022 has increased by 50% from two to over three million. Overall, interest in graduate education continues to experience growth. This includes post baccalaureate applications to masters and graduate level certificates and education specialist programs. However, in recent years a gap has formed in translating interest in graduate education to actual enrollment. This may be due to a strong US job market and hesitancy to take on graduate school debt without knowing the true value and earning power of their degree on the job market. This is especially true for first generation and diverse students. 

In light of this trend, what has your HRD graduate program experienced? Are you too seeing more applications and less enrollment? Has your enrollment stayed steady or are you experiencing fluctuations?

Do you have master and/or post graduate certificate programs? If so, you’re in good company. Most of the growth in graduate education has occurred at these levels. Some require entrance exams and others do not. Masters can be thesis- and research- based, coursework only, and/or applied experience. Some programs are designed for working professionals to complete “part-time” in two to three years or may be conferred on the way to a doctoral degree. 

Students looking to upskill their credentials without the often multi-year effort of a master degree may find certificate (also known as badges) programs attractive. These programs are popular, and as such, they proliferate. Targeted to working adults, most certificate programs are designed to be flexible, skill-based, and are conducted in a hybrid or online format. They may have the added benefit of creating a more diverse student pool. While most certificates are stand-alone programs, they are typically completed by already enrolled master and doctoral students. Less clear is the extent to which employers view the value of certificates. 

Thus, we ask - Who is the audience of your certificate program? Are they current students in your graduate degree programs; those who seek to “try out” your graduate program before committing to enrolling; or those dropping in for a micro-credential career upgrade? Do you know if students who graduate with your certificate were more competitive in the job market? In other words, did having the certificate make a difference?

There were also some concerns voiced by the Chronicle of Higher Education in this 2024 report. First, that the growth of both master and certificate programs by institutions of higher education and for-profit entities may lead to market saturation over time. As such, graduate programs need to articulate a unique value proposition that differentiates their program from competitors. Additionally, as we find ourselves on the precipice of the undergraduate enrollment cliff (anticipated to commence in 2026), graduate programs need to be prepared for less students overall in the coming decades due to shrinking populations. 

Hence, HRD programs should consider, how are you preparing for the coming eventuality of fewer students? Will your program continue to thrive in a shrinking market?

Now, let’s turn to doctoral programs. Similar to master degrees, applications to doctoral education increased 4% on average each year from 2017 to 2022, as reported from the 2023 Council of Graduate schools. Though there is growth, the number of applications to PhD programs are not as robust as in earlier decades. Accompanying this trend, we find smaller PhD cohorts, an ever-expanding time to degree completion, and that comprehensive exams are more likely the first step along the dissertation journey. Contemporary PhD graduates are more likely to pursue positions in industry than in higher education. 

Are you preparing your doctoral students for a career in industry alongside the professorate?  How are you imagining your PhD program and other doctoral programs?

Looking at trend data gives us a lot to ponder about HRD and related graduate education. But we would be remiss, if we did not look forward and try to envision our future, say 2035? Collectively, we should answer these questions: What does it mean to have less graduate students from which to recruit? What is the ongoing value proposition of a master and certificate program in the field of HRD? How should HRD programs innovate? If you’d like to ponder these questions and more with a group of your peers, please join us at the Program Excellence Network (PEN) session at the 2025 International Research Conference in February 2025.

In closing, I firmly believe in the value of HRD graduate education and the impact it has on individuals, their organizations, and communities. If the past predicts the future, it is likely that the HRD academic program market may become saturated, more expensive, and thus only available to those with privilege. I ask you to join me as an academy as we discuss how to forge a future where we are prepared to “right size” our academic programs so they benefit the many, at a cost students view as a fair return on their investment, and is perceived as a professional value add by our graduates and their employers.

Submitted by Khalil Dirani (dirani@tamu.edu)

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to attend the Asia Human Resource Development (HRD) conference held in Seoul, South Korea. The theme of the conference was “Forging the Future: HRD at the Vanguard of the Great Industrial Transformation.” It is worth mentioning that the contributions of two AHRD Board members, Dae Seok Chai and Caleb Han, were instrumental in the success of the conference.

In this essay, I reflect on the theme of the conference. But before diving into that, I must express my admiration for South Korea. The hospitality, rich culture, blend of tradition and modernity modernization, careful organization, all were simply perfect. I was particularly impressed by how deeply ingrained HRD research and practice are within government agencies, educational institutions, and corporations- reminding me of W. Edwards Deming’s influence on Japan’s industrial practices in the mid-20th century.

The conference itself was a vibrant microcosm of this commitment to HRD, showcasing innovative research from a diverse group of scholars and best practices from government and organizational leaders that showed forward-thinking strategies and insights to address the challenges of our rapidly changing workplace landscape. It was inspiring to see how South Korea is not just embracing HRD but actively leveraging it to drive transformation across various sectors. The insights shared and the engagement at the conference reinforced the important role HRD plays in shaping a workforce ready to meet future demands.

 Back to forging the future of HRD! Reflecting on this term and the vibrant discussions at the conference, I believe that these are exciting times for anyone in the field of HRD and that we can learn a thing or two from the Korean experience. We are living in an era of unprecedented change in the workplace. The last few years have created a vibrant environment that opens opportunities for inquiry for HRD scholars and practitioners. If we truly want to lead the field through research, this is our moment!

The question is: how do we navigate forward? How can HRD evolve amidst the complexities and rapid developments of our world? To answer this, I will briefly explore one critical area where HRD can make a significant impact: advanced technologies. Advanced technologies have great potential for improving the processes and outcomes of learning, development, and performance in organizations. Currently, one of the most revolutionary and potentially disruptive advanced technologies in the workplace is generative artificial intelligence (AI), or the ability of programing machines to behave and learn like humans. However, our understanding of the potential impact of these technologies in the workplace remains limited. While AI tools can significantly improve data analysis, decision-making, and personalized learning experiences, they also raise ethical concerns and require careful implementation. There are numerous questions for HRD scholars to explore as we aim to equip HRD practitioners with the knowledge, skills, tools, and policies needed to navigate this transformational landscape. 

In academia, while 95% of administrators believe students should graduate with a basic understanding of AI ethics and literacy, only 48% have plans to prepare them for AI-related work (Chronicle, 2023). Additionally, there is a lack of institutional support, resources, and training for effectively integrating AI applications (Denecke et al., 2023). Currently, no comprehensive framework exists for ethical AI governance in American institutions, leading to concerns about the potential risks to faculty and student confidentiality. A survey by Education Week revealed that over 70% of teachers have not received professional development on using AI in the classroom (Langreo, 2024), which hampers their ability to incorporate these tools into their teaching. Despite some reservations, nearly all college officials view AI as an inevitable development that institutions must embrace (Chronicle, 2023).

To shape the future of HRD, we must equip our students not just to understand, but also to apply, analyze, and critically evaluate the ethical implications of AI as a transformative technology. In the workplace, successful AI integration requires HRD to offer comprehensive training and ongoing support for employees, along with ensuring secure access to AI tools. Furthermore, HRD can play a vital role in guiding the use of AI to complement and enhance higher-order cognitive skills, such as creativity and critical thinking, while also fostering interdisciplinary collaboration to harness diverse expertise.

I will end with a quote by Tim Cook, CEO of Apple: “What all of us have to do is to make sure we are using AI in a way that is for the benefit of humanity, not to the detriment of humanity. ”

If this is not an exciting time to be in the field of HRD, when is?

References

Denecke, K., Glauser, R., & Reichenpfader, D. (2023). Assessing the potential and risks of AI-based tools in higher education: Results from an eSurvey and SWOT analysis. Trends in Higher Education, 2, p. 667-688. https://doi.org/10.3390/higheredu2040039

Langreo, L. (2024). Teachers told us they’ve used AI in the classroom. Here’s why. Education Week. Retrieved from: https://www.edweek.org/technology/teachers-told-us-theyve-used-ai-in-the-classroom-heres-why/2024/01

The Chronicle of Higher Education (2023). Perspectives on generative AI: College leaders assess the promise and the threat of a game-changing tool. Retrieved from: https://connect.chronicle.com/CHE-CI-WC-2023-09-25-C-AI-CHE_LP.html

Transformative Times: Addressing Systemic Changes in Academia

On June 3, 2024, my university ceased to exist. 

If you know me personally, you have probably heard me talk about the seismic reorganization that my former university, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), underwent over the past two years. For context, IUPUI was created in 1969 through a unique partnership between the two largest public universities in Indiana: Indiana University and Purdue University. Over its 55-year existence, the campus evolved from a mere extension of these flagship universities into a vibrant, independent, urban research campus serving over 23,000 students. Similar partnerships between IU and Purdue once thrived in Columbus and Fort Wayne, Indiana.

In August 2022, it was announced that the agreement governing the operation of IUPUI would end, effectively dissolving the institution. Since then, administrators, faculty, staff, and students have been in overdrive, working to create two new entities from the once unified campus. This, of course, has had important ramifications for admissions, accreditation, operations, tenure, and a host of other issues. Many of these issues are still being worked on. The reorganization has also stirred a whirlwind of emotions: excitement, loss, anticipation, and fear, for example. The noted change scholar Adrianna Kezar might characterize what I have described as a second-order change – one in which the change is large, systemic, impacts multiple stakeholder groups across the institution, and is often met with resistance.

Other second-order changes are happening now or barreling towards us. The elimination of race-conscious college admissions, the looming enrollment cliff, eroding public trust in US higher education, the dismantling of diversity programs, the curtailing of faculty free speech and expression, and the increasing use of generative AI are just a handful of the issues that may usher in deep, systemic changes to higher education. Are we paying enough scholarly attention to these changes that are happening right around us?

Some dismiss this kind of scholarship as navel-gazing and self-absorbed. I beg to differ. We, as HRD scholars, are well-equipped to examine these issues. To be fair, many in our scholarly community have shown and continue to show great interest in faculty, staff, and student development or in other topics commonly seen in publications like the Journal of Higher Education and at events like the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) conference. However, I would like to encourage even more scholarship and collaborative projects with our “higher ed” colleagues. For example, could we engage in collaborative projects like:

·       How college administrators and leaders protect shared governance in large change initiatives

·       Talent management in educational mergers and acquisitions

·       Faculty, staff, and student well-being during institutional change

·       The workforce impact in institutions with fewer or no diversity programs

·       The role of HRD interventions like training, coaching, and mentoring in preserving free inquiry and free expression on college campuses

 The changes we will face impact all of us, and HRD scholars have an important role to play in them. I urge all of us to engage in research that addresses these challenges and to collaborate with higher education professionals to develop innovative solutions. Together, we can navigate these transformative times and contribute to the future of higher education, whatever that might hold.

Embracing a Global Perspective: A Call to Action for AHRD Members Submitted by Daeseok Chai (daeseokchai@tamu.edu), AHRD Board Member

In today's interconnected world, the boundaries between local and global domains are increasingly blurred. Consider the case of a multinational corporation that successfully navigated a major cultural integration challenge. When this company expanded into a new continent, it faced significant hurdles in aligning its organizational culture with local practices. By investing in cross-cultural training and leveraging diverse perspectives within its teams, the corporation not only overcame these challenges but also achieved unprecedented innovation and growth. This leads us to an essential question: How can we, as members of the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD), foster a similar global mindset within our professional community?

AHRD has made significant strides in becoming more international. The diverse demographics of our members already reflect this commitment, as evidenced by the composition of our Board of Directors (https://www.ahrd.org/page/leadership). Our Board has its own international HRD committee and supports Special Interest Groups (SIGs) focusing on geographically and culturally specific HRD research, including China, India, Korea, and International SIGs. Additionally, AHRD collaborates with various HRD-related organizations worldwide to promote international partnerships.

A notable example is the upcoming 23rd Asian AHRD Conference in Ilsan/Seoul, South Korea, from September 29 to October 3, 2024, held in collaboration with Human Resource Development Korea. These achievements should make us all proud and motivate us to continue our internationalization efforts.In academia, our flagship journals, particularly Human Resource Development International, play a pivotal role in encouraging research in international contexts. These journals inspire scholars to conduct and submit rigorous research in cross-cultural contexts. Despite these efforts, there is still much work to be done. Scholars such as Ghosh (2019) and McLean (2017) have challenged the status quo, calling for more research in cross-cultural contexts. We must heed this call and expand our research efforts in international and cross-cultural domains.

To further our vision of “leading human resource development through research,” it is imperative that we continue to broaden our horizons and embrace a more global and cross-cultural perspective in our research, practice, and interactions. AHRD and its members should strive to build and extend relationships with HRD-related organizations and groups around the world, initiate more international collaboration opportunities, and strategically work together for mutual benefit. By doing so, we can enhance our understanding of diverse cultural contexts, improve the effectiveness of expatriation, and develop more inclusive leadership practices. This shift will not only benefit our professional growth but also ensure that AHRD remains at the forefront of global HRD. Let us commit to exploring international collaborations and integrating cross-cultural insights into our work.