UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A recent Penn State College of Education doctoral graduate is the winner of a national award for her dissertation.
Yu-Ling Chang, who received her doctorate in workforce education and development (WFED) in August 2023, received the 2023 Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD) Esworthy Malcolm S. Knowles Dissertation of the Year Award, presented at the 2024 AHRD International Conference in Washington, D.C.
“Winning this award means a lot to me,” Chang said. “It is not only a recognition of the hard work and dedication that I put into my dissertation but also a validation of my research on AI (artificial intelligence) and big data analysis in the field of human resource development and organization development (HRD/OD). Receiving this award is a great honor and a significant milestone in my academic and professional journey. I am encouraged to continue my research on AI and people analytics in strategic HR decision-making, organizational and individual career development.”
Chang is the first Penn State graduate to receive the award, which was first presented in 1996.
“In every aspect, her dissertation takes the mentioned domains to the next level due to the innovative nature of her research method, design and conceptual framework,” said Chang’s adviser, Hyung Joon Yoon, associate professor of education (WFED).
“Congratulations, Dr. Chang,” Yoon continued. “Many people here think that she deserves it, but I am glad that the AHRD award committee members also saw that.”
Chang’s dissertation, “Envisioning the Future of Work and the Workforce with Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI),” used interpretable machine learning techniques and data from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics database to project the fastest growing and declining work and worker archetypes by 2031.
The 10 fastest-growing and six fastest-declining work archetypes were identified, primarily by their unique task compositions. The eight fastest-growing and four fastest-declining worker archetypes were also identified, explained by their unique compositions of individual characteristics, including knowledge, skills, abilities, occupational interests, work values and work styles.
“The findings underscore the increasing demand for people-oriented tasks, hybrid talents and agility, along with declining needs in specialized operational, technical and administrative roles,” Chang explained. “The comprehensive profiles of growing and declining work and worker archetypes offer valuable insights for individuals, organizations, educators and policymakers to strategize and thrive in the evolving world of work.”
Chang’s time in the WFED doctoral program saw her focus on HRD/OD. She also worked as a graduate assistant for both the WFED program and the Master of Professional Studies Organization Development and Change (OD&C) program at Penn State World Campus, under the supervision of Yoon and Wesley Donahue, teaching professor of education (WFED).
The award is given to commend an outstanding doctoral dissertation that exemplifies scholarly work and contributes to the HRD field.
The award committee evaluates each submission against five criteria: The evident theoretical and practical importance of the problem; the appropriateness of methods used; the extent to which the results justify the conclusions; the contribution to new knowledge on research and practice in the HRD profession; and the quality of the writing and reporting.
The award is named for Malcolm Knowles, who is considered the father of adult education and coined the term, "andragogy," the understanding of which is crucial to human resource development fields.
“Penn State, specifically the College of Education, has been instrumental in my winning this award,” Chang said. “My adviser, Dr. Yoon, and doctoral committee members Dr. William Rothwell, Deirdre O’Sullivan and Dr. Dongwon Lee provided invaluable guidance and support throughout my research and application process. Additionally, the Workforce Education and Graduate Student Association (WEGSA) and the WFED/OD&C Professional Development Network have offered me valuable resources and opportunities to enhance my skills and knowledge in this field.
“My colleagues have been incredibly supportive and excited about my achievement,” she continued. “For the past few days, I have been receiving their congratulatory messages through social media and email. It's been heartwarming to receive such positive feedback from my colleagues.”