Faculty Profile: Sheila Keener, Assistant Professor
"My goals were to continue to make progress on my research, build relationships with other faculty and have an impact on my students," said management professor Sheila Keener of her first-year goals. Covid-19 was an unexpected and time-consuming challenge for even the most seasoned faculty to adjust to. However, it taught Kenner to be flexible. Like many of her colleagues, Keener wants to ensure her students have a competitive edge in their chosen career fields.
Keener had the opportunity to work with Professor Andrew Bennett and Emily Campion and their Management Research Lab (MRL), a student lab with the goal of exposing undergraduate students to the research process. "It's inspiring to see students who are so interested in research and willing to invest additional time to research outside of their classwork and other commitments," said Keener about working with the research students. The MRL was split into two groups and worked on two different projects in Fall 2019; then came together to work on one project together in the Spring (until it was interrupted by the pandemic). Campion and Keener took the lead on the Student Benefits Survey project for the HRSHRM Hampton Roads Workforce Conference in the Fall. Keener recalls, "Together, we taught students how to analyze survey data and summarize their findings. Two of the students from the lab, Jamayca Madolid and Maria Llanos, presented the group's findings, as well as findings from a survey of the broader community, led by Ryan Klinger, at the inaugural conference."
Keener also coached a team of three ODU SHRM students for the SHRM Virginia State Case Competition. The students had to present on a current trend with strategic relevance to the field of Human Resources Management. They presented virtually and were judged by several members of the Virginia State SHRM Council. "As the coach, I helped them narrow down a topic, understand research findings, and develop/practice their presentation. It was the first time ODU participated in the competition, and our students won first place! The students (Jamayca Madolid, Maya Copeland, and Devyn Asercion) worked very hard to bring the presentation together and were awesome presenters. Jennifer Klinger assembled a great group of students for the competition and was a lifesaver dealing with some day-of technical difficulties!"
In addition to all the impactful work Keener was able to accomplish with her students and faculty, she was also continuing research, having an article accepted in the Journal of Applied Psychology.
As the world adjusts to the "new normal", Keener plans to "continue to make progress on my research and craft a strong research identity, continue to improve my HR class, as well as to take on additional classes over the next few years and be more involved in the department and the Strome community, as well as the larger Hampton Roads community."
