Celebrating Excellence: HumRRO Honored with Three Top SIOP Awards

Alexandria, Virginia (January 22, 2026)— The Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO) is proud to announce that three of its staff have been honored with 2026 SIOP Distinguished and Career Awards by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP). Congratulations to HumRRO President and CEO Suzanne Tsacoumis, Ph.D., recipient of the 2026 Distinguished Professional Practice Contributions Award; HumRRO Vice President David W. Dorsey, Ph.D., the Wayne Cascio Scientist-Practitioner Award recipient; and Genevieve Ainslie, Ph.D., principal scientist, winner of the Distinguished Early Career – Practice Award.

As the premier professional association for the science and practice of I-O psychology, SIOP and the SIOP Foundation annually recognize excellence in professional achievement through a range of awards for exceptional contributions to the field.

“To be acknowledged in three significant categories in the same year by SIOP is quite an honor and accomplishment—and perhaps unprecedented,” said Gavan O’Shea, Ph.D., manager at HumRRO and a SIOP Fellow. “We see the extraordinary work that Suzanne, Dave, and Genevieve contribute on a daily basis for our clients and staff—as well as their commitment to advancing the science and profession of I-O psychology. It’s gratifying to have them recognized and celebrated by our flagship professional association. All three are so well-deserving!”

The Distinguished Professional Practice Contributions Award recognizes “an individual engaged in the practice of I-O psychology who has developed, refined, and implemented practices, procedures, or methods that have had a major, demonstrable impact on people at work, organizations, and the practice of I-O psychology,” according to SIOP.

Nominees are evaluated on their demonstrated impact on I-O psychology practice and organizations (breadth and depth), their efforts to share knowledge, the significance and longevity of their career contributions, and their standing among peer practitioners.

In the nomination letter, Cheryl Paullin, Ph.D., Chief Scientist at HumRRO, noted that Tsacoumis, who has led HumRRO as CEO since 2018, steered the organization through rapid growth “with a laser focus on bringing the best of science to our clients and broadening the impact of I-O psychology practice.” In addition, Paullin noted: “She has contributed to the practice of I-O psychology through her impact on selection and promotion processes, through her innovations in rich media assessment, and through her mentorship of dozens of I-O psychology practitioners” as well as numerous volunteer roles and speaking engagements.

“I am deeply honored to receive the Distinguished Professional Practice Contributions Award from SIOP,” said Tsacoumis. “Throughout my career at HumRRO, I’ve had the opportunity to work with and learn from amazing colleagues and clients to effect real, positive change. It has been especially rewarding to mentor the next generation of I-O psychologists. I believe our field can contribute measurable impact—not just in our research, but in the lives and careers of the people we serve.”

The Wayne Cascio Scientist-Practitioner Award recognizes a SIOP member who has exemplified the scientist-practitioner model in I-O psychology throughout their career. “This award underscores a central principle of I-O psychology: science and practice are equally valued and are understood as intertwined, each making the other stronger. Thus, the recipient will have influenced both the practice and science of I-O psychology,” according to SIOP.

“Over the past 25 years, I have observed Dave consistently gravitate toward addressing the thorniest problems, basing his solutions on scientific evidence and always advancing science at the same time,” noted Paullin in her nomination letter. “Dave has an amazing ability to quickly and clearly envision practical, yet often ground-breaking solutions. He is a master at helping clients see the value in pursuing solutions that include applied research, and a master at putting together and leading a team to carry out that research.”

Paullin also highlighted Dorsey’s influence on I-O in military and national security contexts, his pioneering applications of AI to human capital assessment, and his mentoring of I-O professionals to advance both science and practice.

“It is an honor to receive this distinguished award, which recognizes the importance of both the rigor of science and the reality of practice, which we strive to balance daily,” said Dorsey. “I’m equally grateful for the brilliant and talented colleagues at HumRRO and elsewhere who inspire me and for the clients who challenge us in ways that advance our field.”

The Distinguished Early Career Contributions Award – Practice recognizes “an individual who has made significant contributions to the practice of I-O psychology within 10 years of receiving a terminal graduate degree,” according to SIOP. The award honors early-career I-O psychologists who have made significant, evidence-based contributions to the field either broadly (through adoption by multiple organizations or practitioners) or deeply (through major organizational change).

“Genevieve has that rare combination of analytic ability and interpersonal skills that enables her to both engage clients in problem-solving and work with highly technical data scientists to ask the right questions, design data analysis plans to answer those questions, and provide research-based recommendations to address client challenges,” wrote HumRRO’s Deborah Whetzel, Ph.D., in the nomination letter. “Beyond her technical expertise, Genevieve demonstrates exceptional ability to translate research into actionable solutions that directly impact professional credentialing, workforce selection, and public safety.” In addition, Ainslie contributes to the advancement of the I-O field through publications, presentations, and volunteering, as well as teaching at Georgetown University.

“Receiving this award is a huge honor and represents the cumulative impact of over a decade spent bridging the gap between research and practice,” said Ainslie. “This award also reflects the incredible opportunities I’ve had to work on meaningful, high-stakes assessment projects with outstanding colleagues at HumRRO and our partners across government, credentialing, and professional organizations. I’m grateful to SIOP for this honor and to HumRRO for fostering an environment where rigorous I-O practice thrives.”

Ainslie joins HumRRO’s Beth Bynum, Ph.D., who received the Distinguished Early Career Contributions Award – Practice, in 2019.

The 2026 SIOP award winners will be celebrated at the 41st SIOP Annual Conference in New Orleans in April.