Hello PTCMW Members and Friends,

PTCMW notes the recent passing of Dr. Frank L. Schmidt, University of Iowa. Dr. Schmidt was best known for his work on meta-analysis, validity generalization, and selection utility. He published extensively, was one of the most frequently cited I/O psychologists and received numerous awards for his work. In 2015, he received SIOP’s first Dunnette Prize, a lifetime achievement award, to honor individuals whose work “significantly expanded knowledge of the causal significance of individual differences through advanced research, development, and/or application.”

Dr. Schmidt also had a strong DC connection. In 1974-1985, he worked as a Personnel Research Psychologist at the U.S. Civil Service Commission (later the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, or OPM) and Professor of I/O psychology at George Washington University. In 1978, Dr. Schmidt was one of PTCMW’s first luncheon speakers when he presented on “Implications of Selection for National Productivity”. In 2013, Dr. Schmidt was the featured speaker at PTCMW’s Fall Event, where he received a PTCMW Lifetime Achievement Award. We will remember Frank not only for his numerous achievements, but also for Frank's generosity, professionalism, enthusiasm, and integrity in his dealings with the DC-area IO community. We in the PTCMW community and across the entire I/O field will miss him greatly.