Rate My Professor Valerie Sessa

Valerie Sessa is a tenured Professor of Industrial and Organizational Psychology in the Department of Psychology at Montclair State University, where she serves as Director of the I/O Psychology Doctoral Program. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from New York University. Prior to joining Montclair State in 2003, Dr. Sessa held positions as a research scientist and director at the Center for Creative Leadership. There, she managed the start-up of executive selection operations, providing research and knowledge on executive selection to academic and business communities, and later directed new initiatives to support long-term business goals. She has consulted for organizations such as Bellevue Medical Center, Ciba-Geigy Pharmaceuticals, Citibank, New York Hospital System, and Xerox, specializing in assessing middle and high-potential managers using instruments, behavioral assessment centers, and feedback.

Dr. Sessa's research focuses on leadership development, particularly in college students, and continuous learning at the individual, group, and organizational levels, including workgroup learning and multiteam systems. She teaches courses including Leadership Theory and Development, Groups in Organizations, and Work Attitudes and Motivation. Her key publications include books such as "Executive Selection: Strategies for Success" (2000, with Jodi Taylor), "Continuous Learning in Organizations: Individual, Group, and Organizational Perspectives" (2005, with Manuel London), "Work Group Learning: Understanding, Improving, and Assessing How Groups Learn in Organizations" (2008, edited with Manuel London), and "Essentials of Job Attitudes and Other Workplace Psychological Constructs" (2020, with Nathan Bowling). Notable articles are "Some differences make a difference: Individual dissimilarity and group heterogeneity as correlates of recruitment, promotions, and turnover" (1991, Journal of Applied Psychology, cited 1769 times), "Generational differences in leader values and leadership behaviors" (2007, cited 861 times), and "Developing self-awareness: Learning processes for self- and interpersonal growth" (2023). A member of the Academy of Management, APA, SIOP, and the International Leadership Association, she is recognized as an expert on continuous learning and development in individuals, teams, and organizations.