Athens, Ga. – University of Georgia faculty member Robert Vandenberg is the 2010 recipient of the Distinguished Career Award from the Research Methods Division of the Academy of Management. Vandenberg is a professor in the Terry College of Business’ management department.
Vandenberg’s work with statistical methodologies has significantly advanced the field of organizational research. The award is only given to one individual out of the nearly 2000 members of the Research Methods Division.
“Bob’s work has impacted the field in a deep and lasting way,” said Allen Amason, chair of the management department in the Terry College, who noted Vandenberg’s record as a researcher, editor and mentor to students who have gone on to make their own notable contributions to the management field.
Raised in Peoria, Ill., Vandenberg completed his dissertation at the University of Georgia in 1982 and was a faculty member at both Georgia Southern University and Georgia State University before joining Terry’s management department in 1993. He was the winner of the Terry College Faculty Research Award in 2008.
According to Amason, Vandenberg’s research, which has been cited 869 times in just the past three years, continues to support the academic mission and reputation of the Terry College.
Vandenberg’s contributions in the area of structural equation modeling, a statistical technique that combines quantitative data and qualitative assumptions to test and estimate causal relations, is work that his peers say will become a staple in Ph.D. programs. His published work on measurement invariance, co-authored with UGA psychology professor Charles Lance, won the Robert McDonald Advancement of Organizational Research Methodology Award in 2005. It is also considered by many of his colleagues to be a landmark study.
Daniel Feldman, associate dean for academic affairs in the Terry College, refers to Vandenberg as “one of the premier methodologists in the field of management,” and he says that Vandenberg’s expertise has been sought worldwide. He has taught courses and provided workshops on research methods at universities around the world, including Hong Kong, Germany, Belgium and Australia.
“Dr. Vandenberg is a resource of great value as a scholar, instructor and mentor,” said Robert T. Sumichrast, dean of the Terry College. “His effective mentorship of Ph.D. students, success in writing grants and his reputation within the field has helped us to build and maintain a vibrant doctoral program and lift the reputation of the entire college.”
Vandenberg is currently editor-in-chief of Organizational Research Methods, a position he has held since 2008. He also has held positions on the editorial boards of the Journal of Management, the British Journal of Management, and the Journal of Applied Psychology.
The Academy of Management is the oldest and largest scholarly management association in the world. Founded in 1936, its members are scholars dedicated to creating and disseminating knowledge about management and organizations.
