Name: Megan Paul
Title: Research Assistant Professor
Where do you hail from:
I grew up in the far-north suburbs of Chicago, in a city of about 10,000 people. Relative to Chicago and many neighboring cities, that was considered a small town. It wasn't until I moved to Nebraska at age 19 that I learned just how small a town can be. Our main claim to fame is Six Flags. I used to listen to people on roller coasters screaming as I went to sleep.
What is it they say you do:
My educational background is industrial-organizational psychology, and what I do depends on what our funding allows me to do. My field involves the scientific study of employment and the application of that science to workplace issues for individuals, teams, and organizations. This includes areas such as recruitment, selection and placement, training and development, performance measurement, workplace motivation and reward systems, quality of work life, and organizational development. Most of my 17 years of work at CCFL have involved curriculum development, training evaluation, program evaluation, and child welfare workforce research and consultation. I am currently working on the training contract with Nebraska DHHS-CFS and the Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD).
What has been your greatest source of career satisfaction/ proudest achievement:
It took me 13 years to get 3 college degrees, and I worked at CCFL for the last 2 years while finishing my dissertation. The standards were high and the work was rigorous. There were plenty of days when I thought I'd never have a normal life again! 15 years later, I still occasionally remind myself how glad I am to be done.
Family life/hobbies /community involvement:
When my 9-year-old daughter, Kellyn, isn't busy doing her own thing, we spend time getting absorbed in books. We read the Harry Potter series every night for about a year, which culminated in a fairly elaborate Harry Potter birthday party. Now we're into tween/teen versions of fairy tales, with the latest series focusing on the stories behind villains like Maleficent, the Beast, and Ursula. We take annual trips to Orlando and enjoy theme parks, beaches, and relaxing. I try to have a regular presence at Kellyn's school, always planning the class parties for her grade and volunteering at events. I have 3 stepchildren in their late 20s/early 30s, and two of them just had babies, so that's the latest family excitement. If I had more time, I would participate more in environmental efforts and lobbying for political change.
The quotation I live my life by is......
When quotes resonate with me, it's usually not because they are descriptive; they're usually more aspirational or inspirational. The one I've relied on a lot lately is "The more the world discourages you, the more it needs you."