Faculty at Center Stage: Dr. Drew Abney, Assistant Professor and Graduate Coordinator

Dr. Drew Abney Headshot

Dr. Abney is an Assistant Professor in the Behavioral and Brain Sciences Program and serves as Graduate Coordinator for the Department of Psychology. Before joining the University of Georgia’s faculty in the fall of 2020, he earned a PhD in Cognitive and Information Sciences at the University of California, Merced, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Developmental Psychology at Indiana University. He currently teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on statistics, research design, and computer programming.

Jeffrey Olenick

Assistant Professor, I-O Program Chair, Industrial-Organizational Program

Dr. Jeffrey Olenick joined the UGA faculty in Fall 2023 after earning his Ph.D. from Michigan State University in 2020 and a subsequent stint as an Assistant Professor at Old Dominion University. Dr. Olenick is broadly interested in the developmental processes of individuals and groups, and the application of computational models to the study of organizational phenomena. He applies these interests to study important topics including training and trasfer, teamwork in extreme environments, diversity and inclusion, and the role of organizational processes in the production of inequality. 

Education:

Ph.D. - Organizational Psychology - Michigan State University - 2020

M.A. - Organizational Psychology - Michigan State University - 2017

M.A. - Social Sciences - University of Chicago - 2014

B.S. - Psychology - Michigan State University - 2013

B.A. - History - Michigan State University - 2013

 

Research Interests:

Learning, training, and development; teamwork, especially in extreme environments; diversity and inclusion; the role of organizations in systems of inequality

Selected Publications:

Olenick, J., & Outland, N. (in press). Artificial intelligence as theoretical workshop: Using AI to improve the theory problem in organizational sciences. Organizational Psychology Review.https://doi.org/10.1177/20413866251397842

Olenick, J., Eggler, K., Bowker, J., Kozlowski, S. W. J., Chang, C-H., Somaraju, A., & Griffin, D. (2025). A qualitative investigation of teamwork in extreme environments. Group & Organization Management, 50(5-6), 1787-1840. https://doi.org/10.1177/10596011241285662 (IF: 4.8; A)

Davis, J., Eggler, K., Barthes, H., *Kann, R., *Monaghan, P., *Bales, E., & Olenick, J. (2025). From framing to training: Using training needs analysis to tailor DEI training. Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice, 18(2), 263-267. https://doi.org/10.1017/iop.2025.4

Kuljanin, G., Braun, M. T., Grand, J. A., Olenick, J., Chao, G. T., & Kozlowski, S. W. J. (2024). Advancing leadership and organizational science with computational process theories. Leadership Quarterly, 101797. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2024.101797

Somaraju, A., Griffin, D. J., Olenick, J., Chang, C-H., & Kozlowski, S. W. J. (2024). A dynamic systems theory of intrateam conflict contagion. Journal of Applied Psychology 109(6), 871-896. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001172

Olenick, J. & Somaraju, A. (2024). Questionable assumptions and the study of emergent diversity effects. Academy of Management Perspectives, 38(1), 120-131. https://doi.org/10.5465/amp.2022.0231

Gedik, E., Olenick, J., Chang, C-H., Kozlowski, S. W. J., & Hung, H. (2023). Capturing interaction quality in long duration (simulated) space missions with wearables. Transactions on Affective Computing, 14(3), 2139-2152. https://doi.org/10.1109/TAFFC.2022.3176967

Olenick, J., & Somaraju, A. (2023). On the undervaluing of diversity in the validity-diversity tradeoff consideration. Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice, 16(3), 353-357. https://doi.org/10.1017/iop.2023.29

Olenick, J., & Dishop, C. (2022). Clarifying dynamics for organizational research and interventions: A diversity example. Organizational Psychology Review, 12(4), 365-386. https://doi.org/10.1177/20413866221112427 

Somaraju, A., Nye, C., & Olenick, J. (2022). A review of measurement equivalence in organizational research: What's old, what's new, what's next? Organizational Research Methods, 25(4), 741-785. https://doi.org/10.1177/10944281211056524

Somaraju, A., Griffin, D. J., Olenick, J., Chang, C-H., & Kozlowski, S. W. J. (2022). The dynamic nature of interpersonal conflict and psychological distress in extreme work settings. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 27(1), 53-73. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000290 

Olenick, J., Blume, B., & Ford, J. K. (2020). Advancing training and transfer research through the application of nonlinear dynamics. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 29(4), 541-555. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2019.1681501

Nye, C., Bradburn, J., Olenick, J., Bialko, C., & Drasgow, F. (2019). How big are my effects? Examining the magnitude of effect sizes in organizational studies of measurement equivalence. Organizational Research Methods, 22(3), 678-709. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428118761122 

Blume, B., Ford, J. K., Surface, E., & Olenick, J. (2019) A dynamic model of training transfer. Human Resource Management Review, 29, 270-283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2017.11.004

Olenick, J., Bhatia, S., & Ryan, A. M. (2016). The effects of g-loading and time-lag in retesting. The International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 24(4), 324-336. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsa.12151 

Melissa Robertson

Assistant Professor, Industrial-Organizational Program

Dr. Robertson is recruiting a PhD student for admission in Fall 2027.

I am an Assistant Professor in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and the Director of the Relationships and Work Lab. I received my Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the University of Georgia in 2018, and previously worked as an Assistant Professor at Purdue University. 

My research centers on the intersection of work and relationships. I am specifically interested in 1) the development and maintenance of social relationships, and 2) how social relationships contribute to workers’ personal and professional development, inclusion, and well-being. I am particularly interested in how social relationships may affect outcomes for people from underrepresented or marginalized groups (e.g., people from minoritized racial/ethnic groups, people with chronic illnesses and disabilities, low income workers). Much of my recent research has focused on advancing the science of mentoring and uses an adult attachment theoretical perspective. I use a variety of methodological approaches in my work, including observational methods, experience sampling methodology, grounded theory methodology, structural equation modeling, multilevel modeling, artificial intelligence, and dyadic methods.

I currently teach graduate and undergraduate classes in psychometrics, psychological testing, and organizational psychology. I previously taught research methods at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

You can listen to a podcast interview with me here.

Education:

Ph.D., Industrial-Organizational Psychology, University of Georgia, 2018

M.S., Industrial-Organizational Psychology, University of Georgia, 2014

B.S., Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Simon Fraser University, 2012

Research Interests:

Social relationships (e.g., mentoring, supervisor-subordinate relationships, family relationships); employee development; diversity and inclusion; employee well-being; social support; attachment; social behavior; work-life interface

Selected Publications:

Robertson, M. M., & Richard, T. (in press). ReviewGPT: Reducing subjectivity in the review process using AI. Industrial Organizational Psychology Perspectives.

Robertson, M. M., He, Y., & Qiang, W. (2025). A commentary on Dhaenens et al. (2025): Methodological considerations for developmental networks research. Industrial Organizational Psychology Perspectives.

Robertson, M. M., & Zhang, F. (2024). Attachment in mentoring relationships. Journal of Business and Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-023-09914-7

Robertson, M. M., Eby, L. T., Facteau, D. B., & Anker, J. G. (2023). Contact and impact on the frontline: Effects of relational job architecture and perceived safety climate on strain and motivational outcomes during COVID-19.  Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 28(1), 20-39. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000343

Eby, L. T., & Robertson, M. M. (2020). The psychology of workplace mentoring relationships. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 7, 75-100. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-012119-044924

Clark, M. A., Robertson, M. M., & Young, S. (2019). “I feel your pain”: A critical review of organizational research on empathy. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 40(2), 166-192. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2348

Aikens, M. L., Robertson, M. M., Sadselia, S., Watkins, K., Evans, M., Runyon, C. R., Eby, L. T., & Dolan, E. L. (2017). Race and gender differences in undergraduate research mentoring structures and research outcomes. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 16(ar34), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.16-07-0211

Mitchell, M. E., Eby, L. T., & Ragins, B. R. (2015). My mentor, my self: Antecedents and outcomes of perceived similarity in mentoring relationships. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 89, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2015.04.008

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