I plan to retire from full time employment with the Institute as its Professor of Organizational Psychology at the end of May 2012. I believe that I have made a good contribution to both the Institute and wider University over the last 40 years and that now is a sensible time to move on. I also plan to stand down as President of the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology after some 14 years in that role.  I will use my new found freedoms to further my professional activities, largely through the British Psychological Society, and my applied research and advisory work. I believe that there is still time enough for me to make a significant difference: time for one more chorus of the Captains and the Kings.
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DECEMBER & JANUARY
To Old Year’s Night and into a New Year 2012

My focus throughout December was on postgraduate research and on ensuring that my postgraduate students closed out the year in good spirits with satisfactory progress secured. Arguably the highlight was the Annual Postgraduate Conference on 9th December at which I presented on Managing a Successful PhD. Ping Yi Lin had her PhD viva voce examination on 7th December.

January followed a similar pattern to December with a continuing focus on postgraduate research. We held a OHP&M Programme seminar on 18th January at which I presented on Structuring Your Thesis. Nor Diana Mohd Mahudin had her viva voce examination on 26th January and passed with flying colours and with a commendable publication record. However, other duties interceded with a lecture on The History of Occupational Health & Safety to the MSc Occupational Health Psychology and several days spent with the British Psychological Society in my capacity as Chair of its Partnership & Accreditation Committee. My Vision & Strategy Paper, outlining a way forward for the Society post-HPC, was approved by the Committee and has been circulated for wider comment. Without doubt, one of the most pleasant and constructive occasions during January was lunch with Dame Carol Black.
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NOVEMBER
European Affairs

Despite the continuing crisis, at many different levels within the European Union, professional life has to go on. On 15th and 16th November, I was a Keynote Speaker at an expert workshop on Psychosocial Risk Assessment in Luxembourg organised by the Swedish Work Environment Authority and the European Commission (DG Employment & Social Affairs). I spoke on Psychosocial Risks at Work: Their Identification and Management. The meeting was quite excellent although the weather in Luxembourg was both foggy and freezing. Remaining on the European theme: I have joined the Europsych National Awarding Committee, which is being organised through the British Psychological Society, for the European Federation of Psychological Associations.
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OCTOBER:
Postgraduate Teaching

No longer being Head of Institute, I have returned to postgraduate teaching. Over the last few weeks have delivered lectures on The Origins & History of Occupational Health Psychology, The Principles & Practice of Research Ethics and, most recently, Contemporary Theories of Work Stress. I also made a presentation to the students on our MSc Workplace Health & Wellbeing on The Future of Workplace Health. Interestingly, I seem to have rediscovered the enjoyment of researching and developing lectures and of the interaction with our postgraduate students.

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SEPTEMBER:
Conferences & Research Plans

September was a busy month for conferences and developing research plans for the next few years. At the beginning of the month, I flew up to Aberdeen University to meet with Dr Sara MacLennan and Professor James N’Dow to discuss the development and funding of our METIS Programme in psychosocial oncology (6th & 7th Sept). The following week, I presented a paper on Disaster Psychology & Management to an internal University conference on Natural Hazards & Mitigation (13th Sept) before taking the train down to London (Canary Wharf) to chair a 2 day conference on Wellbeing @ Work (14th & 15th Sept). Dame Carol Black proved an eloquent and informative Keynote speaker. I then travelled on to Cardiff to present a paper on Organizational Psychology: Its Contribution to Safety Management to a meeting of the Society for Occupational Medicine on Human Factors and Employee Engagement (16th Sept).

The month ended with interesting planning meetings with our MECCAT team at Sheffield Hallam University (20th Sept) and with the Trent Simulation & Clinical Skills Training Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals (28th Sept). More on both later.
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WHITE PAPER:
Higher Education White Paper (England)

I returned to work and my blog in late August after our annual family holiday in the Dordogne. One of my first tasks was to comment critically on the Higher Education White Paper (England) ~ Students at the Heart of the System ~ for the British Psychological Society. I did this as a contribution to the Society’s response to the consultation on that White Paper. The Society’s response to the consultation exercise was formally submitted.
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WORK & STRESS:
Latest Impact Factor
The latest impact factor for Work & Stress, based on its 2010 performance, has increased significantly to 3.07. The journal now stands 5th equal in the world rankings for journals in applied psychology.

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The blog shares my current research, professional activities and thoughts. Much of my research now focuses on the psychology and management of stressful situations (including disasters) within the framework of sustainable working life. It includes, at the personal level and through the METIS Collaboration based in Aberdeen, cancer survivorship and working life (psychosocial oncology). The particular interest in disasters encompasses natural disasters, including those of Hurricane Katrina and the Sichuan earthquake, and man made disasters such as rail crashes. I also have a historical interest in the Great Irish Famine. I talked through an overview of my research interests in my Alec Roger Memorial Lecture 2011 through the lens of resilience. This lecture is available on YouTube.

This blog incorporates The OHP Review which I originally published online as a guide to Occupational Health Psychology. I have also edited the Director’s Update, a discontinued blog on the Institute of Work, Health & Organizations. At its last count, the Director’s Update had received over 7,000 hits.
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