Retirement is bitter-sweet. Faculty we are going to miss: Dr. Lois Tetrick.

Retirement is bitter-sweet. Faculty we are going to miss: Dr. Lois Tetrick. Image

In 2003, Dr. Lois Tetrick began her incredible journey here at Mason. She has an impressive and long list of accomplishments from what she has done and will continue to do. To name a few, she was a fellow of the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology, the American Psychological Association (APA), the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) and the Association for Psychological Science (APS). She has held Presidency in multiple organizations and sat as chair for some of the same ones too. In addition, she has published numerous chapters and journal articles on topics related to her research interests in occupational health and safety, occupational stress, the work-family interface, psychological contracts, social exchange theory and reciprocity, organizational commitment, and organizational change and development. A common underlying interest in all of her research and teaching is incorporating a global perspective in understanding employees’ experiences of the work environment.

What accomplishment are you most proud of during your time with us at Mason? 

I think the thing that I am most proud of is our continuing ability to hire really fantastic faculty during my time at Mason. The quality of their teaching, research, and service has maintained Mason’s reputation nationally and internationally as a top I/O program.


Please tell me about your professional role as a faculty member at Mason (Research, teaching, activism, etc) 

While at Mason, I had the opportunity to be engaged in research and teaching. Most of my research has taken an applied perspective. One of the largest projects we had was on cybersecurity; this was through a 3-year grant from DHS. This project supported myself and 2 of the other I/O faculty as well as several of I/O graduate students, resulting in several papers and an edited book. Another research project that I worked on for several years was on providing pre-retirement workshops for Fairfax County employees and Mason faculty and staff. Working on this project we found that many employers are pretty good at letting employees know the financial aspects of their retirement plans but they do not provide people any guidance on how to prepare for the changes that retirement bring in their lives and activities.

Have you or do you plan to continue scholarly activities post-retirement? Tell me about these activities, and why or why not?  

I anticipate that I will continue to engage in scholarly activities. I am considering revising the Handbook of Occupational Health Psychology. The 2nd edition was published in 2011 and the field has expanded considerably so there is a lot of research to update. I also continue to work on the health and well-being of older workers building on the work done on retirement transitions. Perhaps a new project will develop.

Dr. Tetrick and A. Chen

How do you think students will remember you, your research, and your classes?  

I hope they will remember me as a supportive faculty person. One who encouraged them to pursue their ideas and provided charted new pathways.

 

Any advice for your now-former students and colleagues?

My advice is to do what you enjoy, in all your life domains. Yes, there are certain things that may not be exactly your favorite tasks, but all in all, the balance should be on the positive side.

What are three things you will miss about your time in our department and at Mason? 

“Three things I will miss:

  1. Great colleagues
  2. Great students
  3. Receptivity to innovation and creativity.”

            Thank you for all the wonderful memories and excellent years of teaching, Dr. Tetrick! We hope you will continue your endeavors in the field of psychology and continue to innovate throughout
your retirement.