Katherine Mulvaney is an IO MPS alum and People and Culture Coordinator at CAVA.

How did you find out about the field of IO Psychology?

I first learned about I/O Psychology from Juliette Aiken, the previous program director. She visited one of my undergraduate classes junior year and pitched the concept, explaining why it was a worthy career path. From then, I/O Psychology stayed on my radar as something I wanted to explore further. After graduating, I spent some time gaining experience at a psychology practice, exploring whether I wanted to pursue a clinical or I/O path. I found myself drawn to all things related to organizational development while in this role, which led me to pursue the I/O MPS program.

Is your current professional role the same role you thought you would hold? How has your path changed since you first envisioned yourself in this role?

My current professional role is definitely one that I curated and intentionally pursued as a result of my experience in UMD's I/O MPS program. When I started the program. I was unsure of my exact career goals or even the type of role that I wanted. About halfway through, I found myself at a crossroads professionally and used the opportunity to align my next steps with the topics and areas I was finding most engaging in the program. That led me to my current role as a People and Culture Coordinator at CAVA. This position is well aligned with where I envisioned myself - focusing on employee engagement, experience and acting as a liaison between business strategy and people development.

What was your most memorable experience or interaction in the IO MPS program?

One of my most memorable experiences was during our Talent Development course, where my group and I presented on the topic of gamification and how it enhances engagement and retention in learning environments. We decided to get creative and structure our entire presentation as a real-time game of Candyland. This meta approach reinforced the concepts while we were presenting, and also made the experience super fun! The collaboration with my peers in that course taught me how to creatively digest and engage with the information we got from our sources. Professor David Shar brought the best energy to the course and made the experience so memorable. 

What is a fun fact about you that no one would guess?

A fun fact about me that no one would guess is that I am a twin! Even if you met my twin, you probably wouldn't guess it - we're as fraternal as it gets. We have had people seriously ask us to see our birth certificates to prove it.

What is the best piece of advice or feedback you have ever received?

The best piece of advice I have received is: There is no timeline. There have been moments in my life when I felt behind or like I hadn't accomplished enough compared to others. Social pressures and comparison can really feed that mindset. Even during the MPS program, I struggled with imposter syndrome, questioning if I was truly ready to succeed. But shifting to a "what's best for me" perspective has changed everything for me. Embracing the mindset that I am exactly where I am supposed to be helped me not only persevere, but thrive!