The AHRD Board has launched a Task Force on Member Well-Being and Support to better understand and respond to the challenges many members are currently navigating.

Why has the Task Force been launched?

The AHRD Board recognizes that many are navigating unique and significant challenges amid the current US social, legal, policy, and institutional conditions affecting members' work and participation. Because the situations members face are often highly context-specific, there is no single solution. The Task Force has been established as a mechanism to listen to members, better understand these conditions, and explore what forms of support may be possible within AHRD's mission and capacities. As a small nonprofit organization, AHRD must ensure that its time, energy, and resources are directed toward initiatives that will meaningfully benefit members. In line with a core organization development principle—diagnosing conditions before designing interventions—the Task Force will gather information about members' experiences and translate those insights into recommendations the Board can evaluate and act upon where feasible.

What does the Task Force do?

The Task Force will:

• Seek to understand the current US social, legal, policy, and institutional conditions affecting AHRD members
• Explore ways AHRD can better understand how to support members within its mission and resources
• Propose and initiate actions or recommendations for the AHRD Board consideration
• Provide monthly updates to the AHRD Board on its activities and insights

How will the Task Force work?

The Task Force will operate over a four-month period (March 1 – July 1, 2026). The Task Force will meet biweekly throughout this period.

Phase 1: Task Force Kick-off (March 1 – May 1)

Phase 2: Understanding and Exploration (May 1 – June 1)

• Gathering input from members
• Identifying key challenges and potential areas of support

Phase 3: Proposing and Initiating Actions (June 1 – July 1)

• Developing recommendations
• Initiating feasible support efforts

Who leads the Task Force?

The co-chairs of the Task Force on Member Well-Being and Support are Eunbi Sim and Ana Carolina Rodriguez. The Task Force will include up to five additional members. We invite AHRD members who are interested in contributing to this effort to submit a brief expression of interest. Please email the co-chairs (eunbisim@boisestate.edu and rodr0667@umn.edu) by April 15, including a brief paragraph about your interest in joining this Task Force.

If there are more interested members than available positions, the co-chairs will recommend participants to the Board with attention to diversity across nationality, geographic regions, institutions, career stages (students and faculty), etc. Final appointments will be approved by the AHRD Board on April 17.

More details about the Task Force's activities will be shared in upcoming Digests.

Dear AHRD Community,

Thank you for your ongoing involvement in our AHRD Mentoring Partner Program (MPP). Our participants often share how much the MPP has meant for creating supportive and sustainable relationships within the HRD community.

In our Participants' words:

I’ve enjoyed learning about the research interests of my mentoring triad. It’s been very helpful to have others from outside my program to speak with about coursework, research, and entering the job market.

Getting to know and learn from other colleagues, especially scholars who are seniors and reputable researchers. A lot of insights and words of wisdom were shared and stayed with me.

It has been tremendously helpful as I have been navigating a multitude of things this semester. I also appreciate the connections that I have made this past year with colleagues from other institutions.

I was matched with two wonderful people who shared a lot of interests and backgrounds. They had a profound effect on me where I didn't feel so alone or on an island as a PhD student, and that they also felt that way or had before in their same journey.

As we celebrate our 10-year anniversary, we’re planning some exciting program enhancements and would be grateful for your support through a nominal donation. For instance, we are working on inviting the President of the International Mentoring Association (IMA), Dr. Lisa Fain to join the 2026 AHRD conference and collaborate with us for the Town Hall as well as co-sponsor new Mentoring Award!!

We are also planning to introduce mentoring program swag as a small token of appreciation for your support. :)

Towards this goal, please make some time to donate to make this planning successful. To help make these exciting plans a reality, we invite you to consider making a contribution—any amount from $10 to $500, or whatever you feel comfortable giving, is greatly appreciated.

You can donate using the following link: https://www.ahrd.org/page/ahrd-fundraising

Please be sure to note that your donation is for the Mentoring Program. We would appreciate your donations by the end of August!

We truly appreciate your support of the AHRD Mentoring Partner Program and look forward to continuing to serve HRD faculty and doctoral students, scholars, and scholar-practitioners for the next decade!

Regards
AHRD Mentoring Partner Program Team

Thank you for your ongoing involvement in our AHRD Mentoring Partner Program (MPP). Our participants often share how much the MPP has meant for creating supportive and sustainable relationships within the HRD community. 

In our Participants' words:

I’ve enjoyed learning about the research interests of my mentoring triad. It’s been very helpful to have others from outside my program to speak with about coursework, research, and entering the job market.

Getting to know and learn from other colleagues, especially scholars who are seniors and reputable researchers. A lot of insights and words of wisdom were shared and stayed with me.

It has been tremendously helpful as I have been navigating a multitude of things this
semester. I also appreciate the connections that I have made this past year with
colleagues from other institutions.

I was matched with two wonderful people who shared a lot of interests and backgrounds. They had a profound effect on me where I didn't feel so alone or on an island as a PhD student, and that they also felt that way or had before in their same journey.

As we celebrateour 10-year anniversary, we’re planning some exciting program enhancements and would be grateful for your support through a nominal donation. For instance, we are working on inviting the President of the International Mentoring Association (IMA), Dr. Lisa Fain (https://www.centerformentoring.com/about-us/lisa-fain) to join the 2026 AHRD conference and collaborate with us for the Town Hall as well as co-sponsor new Mentoring Award!! 

We are also planning to introduce mentoring program swag as a small token of appreciation for your support. :)

Towards this goal, please make some time to donate to make this planning successful.

To help make these exciting plans a reality, we invite you to consider making a contribution—any amount from $10 to $500, or whatever you feel comfortable giving, is greatly appreciated.

You can donate using the following link: https://www.ahrd.org/page/ahrd-fundraising

Please be sure to note that your donation is for the Mentoring Program. We would appreciate your donations by the end of August!

We truly appreciate your support of the AHRD Mentoring Partner Program and look forward to continuing to serve HRD faculty and doctoral students, scholars, and scholar-practitioners for the next decade!

Regards

AHRD Mentoring Partner Program Team

--

Rajashi Ghosh, Ph.D (she/her/hers)

Associate Professor, Adult Learning and Leadership

Incoming Vice Chair, Department of Organization and Leadership

Teachers College, Columbia University

Co-Editor-in-Chief, Human Resource Development Quarterly (HRDQ)

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15321096

Immediate past Editor-in-Chief, Human Resource Development International (HRDI)

https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rhrd20/current

Editorial Board member, Human Resource Development Review (HRDR)

https://journals.sagepub.com/home/hrd

Editorial Board member, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science (JABS)

https://journals.sagepub.com/home/jab

If you’re interested to sponsor one of the season 5 episodes, just reach out to office@ahrd.org – sponsorship enables us to release episodes free of charge and shares your message with 4,000 HRD listeners around the world. To find out more about the podcast, visit https://www.allbypodcast.com/hrd-masterclass and subscribe today to ensure that you don’t miss any of the upcoming episodes. 

Submitted by Yob Ha (yobha@tamu.edu) & Kyungnam Kim (kkim@tamu.edu) 

The Scholar-Practitioner Special Interest Group (SIG) is a dynamic network dedicated to bridging the gap between research and practice in HRD. Rooted in AHRD’s mission to advance HRD theories and practices, this SIG welcomes scholar-practitioners, researchers, and professionals interested in exploring the connection between academic research and real-world application.

Thank you to everyone who attended the SIG Mixer and visited the Scholar-Practitioner SIG table at the AHRD Conference! It was a pleasure connecting with you and hearing your valuable insights. We look forward to continuing our engagement and collaboration throughout the year.

As introduced at the SIG Mixer, we have formed a dedicated team of co-chairs and steering committee members who are actively planning a variety of scholarly and professional development activities. These include webinars featuring expert speakers, collaborative research initiatives that strengthen the link between theory and practice, and networking opportunities designed to foster meaningful professional connections.

If you are registered with our SIG, you will receive updates on upcoming activities. Should you have any questions, ideas, or collaboration proposals, please feel free to reach out to the co-chairs of this SIG, Kyung Nam Kim (kkim@tamu.edu) and Yob Ha (yobha@tamu.edu). 

We look forward to your participation and to strengthening the scholar-practitioner community together!

Join our webinar with Dr. Elisabeth E. Bennett, Associate Professor of Business, at Concordia University in Wisconsin and Ann Arbor, and seminal theorist for Virtual HRD. Dr. Bennett will discuss how Virtual HRD, with its hype, potential, and challenges, should be managed by leaders.

Objectives

1. Improve your understanding of VHRD as a phenomenon in the workplace.

2. Update your knowledge of how VHRD intersects with different levels of an organization and leadership.

3. Identify approaches to leverage VHRD and AI to support effective digital transformation.

Please register using the link provided (https://www.ahrd.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1908797&group= ) or by scanning the attached QR code.

We are getting closer to the 2025 AHRD Future Scholars and Leaders Colloquium at the AHRD Conference in Arlington, VA. The forum engages Graduate Students (Master's and Doctoral) in evaluating research quality, promoting evidence-based HRD practices, and developing their professional identity.

The seminar will use two half-day sessions in a pre-conference to maximize interactions and collective learning among students, scholars, and practitioners. The event times are as follows:

• Wednesday, February 19: 2:00 – 6:00 PM (Eastern)

• Thursday, February 20: 8:00 – 11:30 AM (Eastern)

• Thursday, February 20: Conference Kickoff 1:00 p.m. (Eastern) 

If you are a graduate student interested in registering for the colloquium, please get in touch with your institution’s sponsoring instructor or register through the AHRD Conference Registration. Students who have already registered can add the colloquium to their registration by sending an email to office@ahrd.org. 

HRD faculty who are interested in participating in the FSLC and/or would like to learn how to offer course credit to your students, contact the colloquium coordinators, Dr. Quincy Brown, at hamett.brown@usm.edu or Stephanie Sisco, at pleasant@umn.edu .

2025 AHRD FSLC Instructors,

Quincy Brown, University of Southern Mississippi

Stephanie Sisco, University of Minnesota

Oliver “Ozzie” Crocco, Louisiana State University 

Sarah Minnis, Western Carolina University

John Turner, Texas A&M University

Ague Mae Manongsong, Louisiana State University 

Submitted by Stephanie Sisco (pleasant@umn.edu)

The Critical HRD and Social Justice Perspectives Special Interest Group provides a space in the Academy for the interrogation of dominant theory and practice, with the aim to advance diversity, incite meaningful change, and promote a more equitable and just society. The Critical SIG, as it is commonly called, has also become a place where AHRD members can raise critical consciousness and build solidarity among interrelated struggles against injustice. 

Currently, the SIG is co-chaired by Drs. Chang-kyu Kwon (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) and Stephanie Sisco (University of Minnesota). As elected members of the SIG, they support the creation of critical knowledge and scholarship within the Academy of HRD. With the assistance of the steering committee, SIG leaders are also responsible for facilitating professional development initiatives and providing opportunities for member engagement. Over the course of 2024, the Critical SIG has had a few highlights to achieve this mission, which include the following:

• Summer Writing Series: Dr. Sisco organized four summer writing sessions to promote writing productivity and offer research consultation for graduate students. 

• Critical Book Club: Eunbi Sim (University of Georgia), steering committee member, launched a book club to facilitate ongoing discussions about critical issues and research, which has provided invaluable support to SIG members navigating restrictions on DEI and critical race theory. So far, books have included:

• Summer 2024: Delgado & Stefancic (2023). Critical Race Theory: An Introduction

• Fall 2024: Bierema et al.  (2023) Human Resource Development: Critical Perspectives and Practices

• (Upcoming) Spring 2025: Smith (2021) Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples

• Rising Graduate Student Award: This fall, nominations opened for our signature award. The purpose of this award is to recognize a graduate student who has demonstrated the potential to advance Critical HRD research and/or practice. The expectation is that the recipient of this award will grow to serve as a future leader in the Critical HRD & Social Justice Perspectives SIG and make larger impacts on AHRD as they progress in their academic career.  Nominations are due by Friday, December 13th, and all materials (see criteria) should be submitted via email to pleasant@umn.edu.

Aside from these activities, Critical SIG members have continued to produce important scholarship to sustain our community and impact our organizations and society. As we move forward, we aim to be intentional about how critical approaches to HRD are reflected in practice and contribute to meaningful social change. We cordially invite those who share this commitment to join our SIG! We offer a community dedicated to addressing dysfunction and defying oppressive systems.

UFHRD are delighted to invite you to the prolific city of Belfast for our 25th Annual International Conference. Hosted by Ulster University, Belfast UFHRD 2025 is set to be a memorable experience for all those in attendance. Focussing on the transforming nature of workplaces and human resources the conference theme explores the fourth industrial revolution and how it is reshaping the way people work, manage, recruit, interact and learn. We welcome all submissions under the conference theme of HRD 4.0: An Academic, Practical and Policy Perspective and extend a warm welcome to any doctoral students that wish to take this opportunity to share their work and develop their expertise.

We are also keen to show you everything that beautiful Belfast has to offer. With a gala dinner hosted in our historic City Hall as well as opportunities engage with local music, stories and Irish culture UFHRD2025 is set to be a memorable experience. For those wishing to explore our city centre and pick up some keep sakes to bring back home we have exclusive offers for our UFHRD2025 delegates across a range of hospitality and retail outlets.

Register for the UFHRD2025 here: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/conference/ufhrd

The mission of the Academy of Human Resource Development is to “lead human resource development through research.” Fulfillment of this mission requires the contributions of leaders with diverse backgrounds and experiences. The strategic guidance of such leaders ensures the alignment of our four priorities (fundraising, research, member value proposition, and revenue generation) along with our commitment to antiracism. The work of these board members is done with the future direction of our organizational culture, research, and practice in mind.

The nomination committee seeks individuals who uphold these standards and are committed to a socially just and inclusive academy. There are four Board of Director openings including three General Board Members and one Antiracism Committee At-large Director. All eligible AHRD members-scholars, and scholar-practitioners are encouraged to nominate and apply for the positions. 

Responsibilities for the General Board of Directors

Board members are elected for a three-year term and are expected to attend the Board meetings during the annual conferences in 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028, and monthly virtual board meetings each year of the three-year term. Board members are expected to cover their own expenses for attendance at scheduled Board meetings (the annual conference). The key roles of the Board of Directors are to:

• Ensure fiscal stewardship of AHRD. 

• Set AHRD’s strategic direction. 

• Serve as role models for research, practice, teaching, and service, as well as for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within AHRD and the field of HRD. 

• Actively advance the work of AHRD. 

• Contribute (Get or Give Policy) to AHRD (Board members are expected to raise or contribute up to at least $500 each year.

Responsibilities for the Antiracism Committee At-large Director

• All duties outlined for and relevant to other members of the AHRD Board of Directors, including attending and participating in board meetings and retreats. 

• Creating and sustaining meaningful, transparent exchanges of information within and between the Antiracism Committee and the AHRD Board of Directors, including attending and participating in Antiracism Committee meetings and retreats. 

• Board responsibilities will focus on antiracism initiatives and promoting antiracism and inclusivity at the conferences hosted and sponsored by AHRD.

Nominations Procedure for the General Board of Directors

Nomination materials must include:

1. A written statement that includes both (a) the candidate's biographical information and (b) vision for the Academy, including how they would like to contribute in their role as a Board member. Statements should not exceed 500 words. Note that the use of flyers or the AHRD online member community platform for the promotion of candidates is prohibited. Please include this in a Word document.

2. A headshot (jpeg) to include on the AHRD candidate site. 

3. Send nomination materials to Dr. Bhagyashree (Bee) Barhate, (AHRD Nominations & Elections Committee Member) at B.Barhate@usm.edu . The deadline for nominations is midnight (PST) on or before Friday 08 November 2024.

Nominations Procedure for the Antiracism Committee At-large Director

1. A written statement that includes both (a) the candidate's biographical information and (b) vision for the Academy, including how they would like to contribute in their role as a Board member, and (c) a brief statement describing the nominee’s demonstrated and sustained professional commitments to antiracism, as evidenced by teaching, scholarship, service, and/or practice. Statements should not exceed 500 words. 

2. A headshot (jpeg) to include on the AHRD candidate site. 

3. Send nomination materials to Dr. Bhagyashree (Bee) Barhate, (AHRD Nominations & Elections Committee Member) at B.Barhate@usm.edu . The deadline for nominations is midnight (PST) on or before Friday 08 November 2024.

4. Upon receipt of all nominations by a specified deadline via the Nominations and Elections Committee, the Antiracism Committee will conduct a preliminary review and approve nominees for the Antiracism Committee At-large Director by a simple majority vote. The principal criteria on which nominees will be initially reviewed will consist only of assessing the nominee’s specified credentials as they relate to antiracism. All nominees with acceptable backgrounds in or experiences with antiracism and meeting all other criteria for the position should be advanced to the election by the Antiracism Committee. 

5. The slate of nominees for the Antiracism Committee At-large Director having been finalized, the election will then move to the general membership. 

6. All nominees to be the Antiracism Committee At-large Director will be listed on a specified, separate section of the regular AHRD election ballot where general membership will elect the board representative, in addition to voting on other open board positions. 

A reply email confirmation will be sent to you indicating that your nomination has been received. If you do not receive this confirmation within 48 hours, please re-send and contact office@ahrd.org. In December, all AHRD members will receive instructions for completing their ballot. The AHRD election process will be completed by mid-December, and new Board members will be announced in early 2025.

Nominations & Elections Committee:

Meera Alagaraja, Texas A&M University (Co-Chair)

Bhagyashree Barhate, University of Southern Mississippi 

Laura Bierema, University of Georgia 

Oliver (Ozzie) Crocco, Louisiana State University (Co-Chair)

Eunjung Grace Oh, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 

Submitted by Shinhee Jeong(sjeong@uttyler.edu), chair of the Korea SIG

I am delighted to announce that the Korea SIG is now accepting proposals for the Team-Up Grant, which is available to all AHRD members. This initiative encourages collaborative research, acknowledging the potential for increased productivity and enhanced quality in scholarship. Since 2016, the Korea HRD SIG has fostered collaboration among AHRD members, offering significant opportunities, especially for students and early career scholars.

Objectives of the Team-Up Grant Program:

• Enable AHRD members to establish multi-institutional, multi-national research teams.

• Draw attention to global (cross-cultural) issues and cutting-edge technology in research.

• Provide opportunities for both mentoring and being mentored.

Research Topics: We welcome a broad range of research topics, with a preference for:

• Global or cross-cultural issues.

• Technology related to HRD.

• HR/People analytics.

• Advanced or innovative research methodologies.

Selection Process:

• Initial Submission: AHRD members interested in this grant should submit their research ideas via the following link by Sunday, October 27, 2024: Submission Form.

• Sign-Up: The Korea Sig Chair will compile all submitted ideas and share a sign-up link with AHRD members. Those interested in research collaboration must sign up by Friday, November 8, 2024. This will be on a first-come, first-served basis. An individual may sign up for a maximum of two research ideas/projects.  

• Team Formation: Project leaders will contact and confirm their team members, with assistance from the Korea SIG leadership.

• Proposal Development: Each team must work collaboratively, develop a full proposal , and submit it to the Korea HRD SIG Chair via email. Detailed guidelines for the proposal development will be provided.

• Review: Proposals will undergo a blind peer-review process conducted by the Korea SIG Leadership. Evaluation will be based on the following set of criteria:

a.Team composition: The team has a mixture of senior, junior faculty, and students from multi-institutions. 

b. Relevance to preferred research areas: The research topic is among the preferred research areas (listed above). 

c. Research design quality: The project is well designed, coherent, and theoretically grounded. Personnel and project activities timeline congruent with project description and outcomes. 

d. Potential impact: The project has the potential to make a meaningful contribution to the field of HRD. 

e. Clarity of writing: The proposal is well written and clearly articulated. 

• Notification: Final decisions will be individually communicated to the applicants.

• Presentation: Award recipients are required to present a 10-15 minute overview of their project at the next AHRD conference’s Korea SIG meeting.

For questions or further clarification, please contact Shinhee Jeong, Chair of the Korea SIG, at sjeong@uttyler.edu.

Submit Online here

To ensure a smooth submission-related experience, please note the following:

• Submit your paper as a PDF.

• When submitting a Refereed Full Paper or Poster, ensure your initial submission for review is devoid of personally identifying information. If your submission is accepted, we will circulate additional instructions on submitting your accepted and revised papers to be included in the Conference Proceedings.

• Name your files as AHRD2025_Title of Paper

• We are enforcing the Rule of Three during this conference. Please review the Call for Submission for more details.

2025 Submission Tracks

The Academy of Human Resource Development welcomes submissions from all academic fields and   disciplines that focus on workplace and organizational learning, performance, change, and related issues and challenges. We specifically encourage submissions related to the theme Envisioning HRD’s Legacy in 2055: Advocacy, leadership, and sustained change, but we encourage submissions across all manuscript tracks from scholar-practitioners.

Conference submission tracks for this year are:

• Assessment, Analytics, Evaluation, and HRD Research Methodology

• Workforce Diversity, Critical, and Social Justice Perspectives in HRD

• International, Global, and Cross-Cultural Issues

• Leadership, Strategic HRD, and Career Development

• Organization Development, Change, and Performance

• Workplace Well-being and Engagement

• Virtual HRD, Technology, and Artificial Intelligence

• Workplace Learning and Training and Development

• HRD Curriculum, Student Engagement, and Faculty Development

• Non-Refereed

2025 Submission Categories

Within each track, authors will assign their submission(s) to one of the following two categories and five submission types (as described below).

Refereed Submissions

• Refereed Full Manuscript
• Refereed Posters
• Refereed Symposium

Non-Refereed Submissions

• Focus Session
• Professional Development Workshop