January 26, 2011

By Meg Banks ‘11

Prof. John Kello

One of the leading associations for psychology has recently honored a Davidson professor by electing him as a "Fellow" of its organization.

Davidson Professor John Kello was named a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science (APS). The designation recognizes outstanding and sustained contributions to the science of psychology through research, teaching and service.

Psychology is one of just a few academic disciplines with fellows programs, and several Davidson faculty in that department have received the recognition. In 2009, Professor Julio Ramirez, founder and director of the college's neuroscience program, was named a Fellow of the APS and the American Psychological Association (APA). Professor Kristi Multhaup and Maddrey Professor Ruth Ault are also APA Fellows, and Watson Professor Ed Palmer is a Fellow of the APS. APS named about 250 new Fellows worldwide this year.

In response to his nomination, Kello said, "It is a great and unexpected honor."

Kello, who joined the Davidson faculty in 1974, specializes in Industrial-Organizational (I-O) psychology. I-O psychology is both a basic research as well as an applied field, with the "laboratory" encompassing the entire organizational world. His current research and practice focus on leadership assessment and coaching, teamwork, and occupational safety.

He has worked around the country with organizations as diverse as NASA's Johnson Space Center, manufacturing firms and financial services organizations. He has also worked with local companies, including the Ingersoll Rand facility in Davidson, the Foamex Plant in Cornelius, and the McGuire Nuclear Station on Lake Norman. He also worked on campus with a Davidson student to develop and conduct a series of supervisory skills training sessions for staff supervisors. Kello says that a large number of his students are involved in local thesis research, internship experiences and field research.

In addition to his research and teaching, Kello has published articles in professional journals about learning, adult education, leadership development and organizational development. He also directed the North Carolina Fellows program on campus for several years, and has helped set many students on the path to successful careers as scientists and practitioners.

Davidson is a highly selective independent liberal arts college for 1,900 students located 20 minutes north of Charlotte in Davidson, N.C. Since its establishment in 1837 by Presbyterians, the college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently regarded as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country. Through The Davidson Trust, the college became the first liberal arts institution in the nation to replace loans with grants in all financial aid packages, giving all students the opportunity to graduate debt-free. Davidson competes in NCAA athletics at the Division I level, and a longstanding Honor Code is central to student life at the college. 

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