Student Perspective
Vignesh Murugavel
Vignesh Murugavel, NCITE graduate assistant and Ph.D. candidate in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at UNO. Murugavel previously studied psychology at the University of Texas at Dallas and is a theme lead for NCITE’s fourth research theme, Workforce Development.
By Lauren O'Malley, NCITE MBA student
Q: It is below freezing in Omaha right now. What motivated you to make the move here from the warm weather of Dallas, Texas?
Spending the early part of my life in southern India and the majority of my life in north Texas, all I had known for a long time was blistering heat. I was actually eager to finally live in a climate that one might call “dependably cold” for a change. I will say that the allure of freezing temperatures has waned over the past five years since I moved here. However, the charm of the city and the warmth of the people has been more than enough for me to enjoy my time here.
Weather aside, my main draw to Omaha was that the city housed the country’s most awesome I-O psychology program. UNO’s I-O psychology program, and my advisor, Dr. Roni Reiter-Palmon, have provided me with top-notch education and experience as a science-practitioner.
Q: What is it like being an NCITE student?
A: Being an NCITE student is amazing! For me, the talented and friendly faculty and students are the main appeals of working for NCITE. Furthermore, NCITE has provided me with an opportunity that I had always yearned for as a student — the chance to work as part of an interdisciplinary team. I find that being part of a group with varied backgrounds and skillsets that is working toward complex goals to be extremely captivating.
Q: Is it true you are also musically talented?
A: I wouldn't go as far as to say I am talented, but I do have a passion for music. Specifically, I have a fondness for the piano and any music that features the instrument. The circumstances of the pandemic gave me some time to explore piano playing as a hobby. Although I am still a novice, I hope to continue to learn and improve this skill moving forward.
Q: What is I-O psychology and what unique value does it bring to terrorism research?
Industrial-Organizational psychology is the study and application of the science of psychology to organizations and people within organizations. Typically, the work of I-O psychologists surrounds the workplace and employees. However, principles and theories within the field can apply to any form of organization. The role of a traditional I-O psychologist is to improve workplaces and the worker experience.
If I-Os can use science to make organizations better, they can also use science to make organizations worse. The latter is how I-O psychology applies to terrorism research. I-O psychologists can use theories of human and group behavior to improve the national security workforce and undermine malevolent organizations such as terrorist groups.
Q: How has your time as an NCITE researcher shaped your career and research interests?
A: NCITE has opened my eyes to 1). The scale at which I-O psychology can be applied and 2). The variety of uses cases for my knowledge, skills, and abilities as a science-practitioner. Counterterrorism work provides an opportunity to think about topics in my field in new and interesting ways. One can seek careers that work on improving the world’s largest counterterrorism workforce or one can apply research abilities to better analyze terrorist organizations. The appeal of both cases is that I-O work is used to make the world a safer place. I am looking forward to continuing my work with people in the Homeland Security Enterprise after I graduate.
Q: What is workforce development and why should organizations care?
Broadly, workforce development is an organization's focus on the worker. Not only does workforce development improve employee experience but it also improves the functioning of the organization. The process by which organizations reach their goals and produce desired outcomes is dependent on the knowledge, skills, and abilities of their workforce. Workforce development procedures ensure that employees possess and develop appropriate competencies for their job and career. Organizations can use science-based recruiting, training and development, culture initiatives, and other practices to maintain a strong and growing workforce.
Q: How does one grow a workforce?
A: Developing a workforce is a very complex issue. This is especially true for large organizations such as DHS. Although challenging, growing a workforce can be boiled down to three components: attraction, development, and retention. Organizations need to recruit and select talented workers who possess required knowledge, skills, and abilities. In order to keep up with changing goals and fill in competency gaps, organizations need to develop their existing talent through training and education. Finally, organizations need to ensure that the work and work environment are conducive to motivation and commitment from employees.
Q: What are the top three workforce needs that DHS has?
A: The three points that I mentioned above apply to DHS. Specifically, it is critical that DHS identifies applicant pools that are diverse and match the requirement for being an effecting counterterrorism worker. Furthermore, because DHS organizations often face dynamic mission sets, it is particularly important to provide appropriate training and development so workers can continue to outpace national and global threats. Lastly, because DHS is a relatively young organization with many varied components, the organization faces challenges in maintaining a department-wide culture that motivates and retains top talent. By continuing to address these three points in its workforce development projects, DHS can better use its human capital to ensure public security.