I/O Researcher Named Interim President of FSU

APS Fellow Garnett S. Stokes, who previously served as provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs at Florida State University (FSU), has been chosen to serve as interim president of FSU. Stokes will lead FSU until the University’s Board of Trustees locates a replacement for departing President Eric J. Barron.

As a scientist, Stokes’s work focuses on industrial/organizational psychology with an emphasis on hiring and promotion. She is particularly interested in how “biodata”— that is, personality, values, attitudes, and life history — influence career choices and employee performance. This research is the subject of her 1994 book, Biodata Handbook. Stokes is one of the most respected researchers in the field of I/O psychology, and she has served as a hiring consultant to clients that include government agencies and Fortune 500 companies.

“Dr. Stokes is uniquely qualified to continue the momentum of Florida State’s rise in rankings and fundraising initiatives as well as the research and creative activities that support the academic mission of the university’s 41,000 undergraduate and graduate students during this transition,” says Allan Bense, chairman of FSU’s Board of Trustees.