AOP Conference Committee
Objective of the Conference Committee
The Conference Committee of the Alliance for Organizational Psychology (AOP) serves as the driving force behind AOP’s global conference presence. Working collaboratively across continents, the committee ensures that AOP-sponsored sessions at global conferences reflect the AOP’s mission to advance international dialogue, foster collaboration, and promote the science and practice of work, industrial, and organizational psychology worldwide.
The purpose of the AOP special conference sessions is to feature globally relevant topics, contributors with international perspectives, and high-interest themes that resonate across cultures and professional communities. The committee curates and organizes these sessions, ensuring that each reflects AOP’s values and highlights emerging trends and shared challenges across regions. To broaden engagement across our Big Tent partners, the committee also issues a call for proposals that invites academics and practitioners from around the world to submit proposals, further fostering collaboration and the exchange of diverse perspectives.
The committee shapes and reviews session content, upholds quality and consistency, and promotes AOP sessions through strategic outreach. Through this work, the Conference Committee strengthens the Alliance’s global presence and unites diverse voices to advance the understanding and practice of work, industrial, and organizational psychology on an international scale.
Conference Committee Chair
Julia B. Haas, Ph.D.
Dr. Julia Haas is an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist and trusted advisor to public-sector leaders navigating complex talent challenges. With over a decade of experience in assessment design and leadership evaluation, she blends behavioral science with practical implementation to help government agencies build stronger, data-informed talent systems.
As a faculty member and Head of Talent Assessment at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia, she leads a team in designing and executing large-scale promotional testing and leadership assessment programs for government agencies with workforces exceeding 10,000 employees. Her work spans architecting end-to-end assessment strategies, ensuring fairness and legal defensibility, and translating data into actionable insights that inform leadership succession programs.
Beyond her applied work, Dr. Haas chairs the Conference Committee of the Alliance for Organizational Psychology, leading global collaborations across major international conferences to connect science and practice and elevate the global impact of industrial-organizational psychology.
Conference Committee Members
Joeri Hofmans, Ph.D.
Joeri Hofmans is a Full Professor at Vrije Universiteit Brussel. His research focuses on the role of personality, leadership, and motivation at work, with a particular emphasis on within-person fluctuations and temporal dynamics. He often seeks to generate novel insights by applying advanced and innovative research methods.
His work has been published in leading journals, including the Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Organization Science, The Leadership Quarterly, and Organizational Research Methods. Joeri currently serves as Associate Editor of the European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, and is a member of the editorial boards of Organizational Research Methods and the Journal of Vocational Behavior.
Gosia Kozusznik, Ph.D.
Gosia Kozusznik has a Ph.D. in Psychology of Human Resources and is an Assistant Professor in HRM and Organizational Behavior at the Department of Marketing, Innovation, and Organization at Ghent University. Her research focuses on stress, well-being and team dynamics in organizations and includes emerging ways of working, such as startup teams and human-robot teams. She serves on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Applied Psychology, and is a member of the AOP, EAWOP, and the editorial board of the International Journal of Stress Management.
Aníbal López, Ph.D.
Aníbal López is an Assistant Professor (tenure-track) at ISEG – Lisbon School of Economics and Management (University of Lisbon). His research focuses on the intersection of psychology and entrepreneurship, examining topics relevant to both new ventures and established organizations. In the context of new ventures, his work explores nascent entrepreneurship, particularly the behavior of founders and the dynamics of new venture growth. For established organizations, his research centers on employees' intrapreneurial behavior and the influence of organizations’ socio-material aspects on these actions. His work has been published in leading journals, including the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, Applied Psychology: An International Review, Journal of Small Business Management, andHuman Resource Development Quarterly.
Pär Löfstrand, Ph.D.
Pär Löfstrand is an Assistant Professor in Psychology at the Department of Psychology and Social Work, Mid Sweden University. His research interests lie primarily within social psychology and work- and organizational psychology, with a particular focus on how psychological, cognitive, and social factors influence individuals and groups in work settings.
He currently leads a research project on workplace configuration and the creation of attractive and healthy work environments. This project examines psychological aspects of work and organizational life, including the interplay between personality, cognition, and social dynamics in modern workplaces.
Pär is a member of the Executive Committee of the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology (EAWOP) and serves on the SEDEC, Commission of the European Committee of the Regions, which is responsible for research and education policy matters within the European Union.
Mark Poteet, Ph.D.
Mark L. Poteet owns and operates a consulting practice in Tampa, Florida. He received a BA in Psychology, and a PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, both from the University of Tennessee. His work focuses primarily in the areas of leadership assessment, executive coaching, training and development, and competency modeling. He is also a member of SIOP’s United Nations Committee.
Liz Pavese, Ph.D.
Dr. Liz Pavese is an organizational psychologist, certified executive coach, and trusted advisor to founders, people leaders, and HR tech innovators. With over 17 years of experience spanning enterprise tech, coaching platforms, and advisory services, she brings a unique blend of behavioral science, product fluency, and human-centered leadership expertise to every engagement.
As a credentialed coach (ACC) with a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Liz has coached and consulted across sectors, from Fortune 500s to early-stage startups. She is a sought-after speaker, delivering keynotes and facilitating sessions at global events: ATD, SHRM, Gartner Reimagine, SIOP, and Workday Rising. Her thought leadership has been featured in SHRM, Fast Company, HR.com, Training Industry, and more—and is a contributing author to The Coaching Buyer’s Handbook and The Ethical Coaches Handbook.
Liz’s mission is to help leaders grow without burning out, scale intentionally, and lead with both clarity and conviction.