Students and faculty from Louisiana Tech’s Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences (PBS) recently attended the Leading Edge Consortium (LEC) in Atlanta, Georgia. The conference, titled Advancing People Analytics, brought experts together to share and explore innovations that are transforming workforce analytics and leadership strategies.
Dr. Tilman Sheets, interim department head of PBS, emphasized the value of the conference for students’ professional growth and connection to industry leaders:
“The Leading Edge Consortium provides a more intimate and higher-quality environment for students to network directly with key decision makers, consultants, and leaders in people analytics and business consulting, which is highly beneficial for internships and job placement.”
Louisiana Tech alumni Stephanie Murphy and Cole Napper led the conference by showcasing the best minds in people analytics at LEC.
“We hand-selected the top minds in people analytics from industry, academia, non-profits, and the bleeding edge of AI experimentation to bring individuals the most future-focused, practical, and inspiring content around,” Murphy said.
“This isn’t your typical conference,” added Napper. “We brought together the doers, thinkers, and builders across people analytics to share what’s real, what’s working, and what’s next.”
Graduate student Kalita Dennis said attending the conference offered both professional insight and inspiration.
“This experience offered valuable insight into I/O Psychology, specifically the growing area of people analytics,” Dennis said. “Our alum and one of the co-chairs, Stephanie Murphy, founded a new international People Analytics group with over 10,000 current members, creating a strong platform for practitioners and students to connect.”
Sheets added that having Louisiana Tech alumni play such a prominent role at the national level reinforces the strength of the University’s program.
“The prominent role of Louisiana Tech alumni, such as founding and leading key organizations, highlights the program’s success in cultivating high-achieving professionals and reinforces the value of the alumni network for current students,” Sheets said. “This experience provided a powerful motivational boost for our graduate students. It helps shift their perspective from merely completing coursework to becoming future experts and leaders in the field.”
Louisiana Tech’s representation at the Leading Edge Consortium underscored the program’s national presence and the success of its graduates in advancing the field of Industrial-Organizational Psychology.