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Partnering with the Energy Industry
CAPR Spanning the Globe at OTC 2014

UH Industrial Organizational Psychology’s Center for Applied Psychological Research (CAPR) participated in the 2014 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) held in Houston’s Reliant Park from May 5th - May 8th. OTC is the foremost event for disseminating the latest technical information, and provides a forum for networking with other professionals in the oil and gas industry. Many technical areas important for oil and gas exploration and production are included in the OTC. The exhibition was founded in 1969 and each year it attracts vendors and visitors from around the world. This year attendance at the annual conference reached a 46-year high of 108,300. Participants were drawn to the technical program and breakfast and lunch sessions and engaged in the dynamic exchange forum, a signature of the OTC.

On the university front, UH Energy is well represented with 8 different programs to showcase their research intersecting with the oil and gas industry. While many universities were present at the OTC, the R&D Showcase is exclusive with UH being one of only six universities invited to showcase their graduate and research programs. Dr. Christiane Spitzmüller, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Director of CAPR led her team of graduate students and presented their projects highlighting partnerships with industry giants, such as ExxonMobil, Saudi Aramco, BP, Willbros and INGAA. The projects focus on: technical training and workforce nationalization, work-family research, employee and patient safety, and employee engagement and organizational surveys. The doctoral graduate students who were stationed at the booth were: Glenn Malone, Candice Perks, and Jing Zhang. For information about CAPR research, please visit: http://www.uh.edu/class/psychology/io-psych/about/research-excellence/index.php.

- By Lolin Wang-Bennett