Professor Michael Zickar, director of the University’s Industrial Organization Psychology program, accepted a commendation for the program from the State of Ohio yesterday.

Surrounded by faculty and students, state Sens. Randy Gardner and Joy Padgett awarded an honorary plaque to the specialized doctoral program, which was rated third out of the top 10 programs of its kind in U.S. News and World Report’s 2006 edition of ‘America’s Best Graduate Schools.’

According to Zickar, active students and faculty research have contributed to the success of the Industrial Organization Psychology program.

‘We have a really good group of faculty who do a lot of research, and we have active graduate students who present at conferences and are really active in the field,’ Zickar said. ‘We’ve had a lot of graduates who have gone on to success in the field, so all those things help our reputation.’

According to IOP’s Web site, graduates of the program have been hired by a variety of universities, companies and government organizations, ranging from J.C. Penney to the Department of Defense.

‘Clearly this is an elite program,’ said Gardner, a University graduate. ‘It’s another reason to be proud to represent Bowling Green State University, to be a Falcon and just to pay recognition to an outstanding program that has brought honor not only on the program, but on the University and on the state.’

The program prepares students for careers as consultants for various companies and organizations. Many graduates design surveys that help companies determine who to hire. Generally, the program teaches students the science of helping companies and organizations become efficient, effective and successful.

‘I was interested in studying for a doctorate degree in a good program, and Bowling Green had a lot going for it,’ said Eyal Grauer, graduate student.

One attractive aspect of the program, according to Grauer, is the Institute for Psychological Research and Application, a University-run research institute that assists various companies and organizations.

IPRA, which has been a part of the Psychology department since 1981, gives students an opportunity to gain consulting experience as they work toward their degrees.

Since its beginning, IPRA has assisted numerous clients, including General Mills, Marathon Oil and Brush Wellman.

Experience helping actual organizations can give graduates of the program the edge they need to find jobs following graduation, Grauer said.

The program’s founders, who were in attendance, are proud that their program has carried on a tradition of success.

When retired University Professor Robert Guion helped form the IOP program in the mid-1960s, he had a vision of how the program could become successful, according to Joe Cranny, former chair of the Psychology Department.

‘He had an idea of what the program should look like back in 1966,’ Cranny said. ‘He built a very strong staff, and we staffed it with very good people over the years. And the present group, which doesn’t include any of us who were here when we began, has kept up that tradition.’

Guion is pleased that the program has kept that tradition.

‘We’re gone from the program,’ he said. ‘The people who are here now have taken it back to what it was, and that is exceedingly gratifying.’