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Sirius XM Radio Show Spotlights Human Capital Development Alumnas Research

Mon, 07/16/2018 - 01:38pm

Dr. Catherine Cole, a graduate of The University of Southern Mississippi's (USM) doctoral program in Human Capital Development, and her USM faculty mentor Dr. Heather Annulis, were featured guests on the June 25 episode of the Sirius XM radio show “Road Dog Trucking,” a daily afternoon show covering subjects relevant to the trucking community, including politics, economics, and social issues.

Mike Willis, the show's host, invited Drs. Cole and Annulis to discuss the findings of Dr. Cole's dissertation research which analyzes “Churn and Alignment between Retention and Occupational Culture as Perceived by Professional Truck Drivers.” Dr. Annulis served as chair of Dr. Cole's dissertation committee.

During the show, Dr. Cole shared her insights with listeners regarding the topic of high driver turnover in the trucking industry. She explained that what distinguishes her research from existing research on the topic was her focus on the unaddressed needs of truckers. Her findings could help trucking industry leaders to better align their retention plans with the needs of their drivers.

Dr. Annulis' contribution to the conversation was shedding light on the larger topic of human capital development and how investing in an organization requires investing in its people. 

After the presentation and discussion of the findings, listeners joined the conversation via phone. The callers shared accounts of their experiences in trucking, which aligned with Dr. Cole's findings, highlighting the timeliness and relevance of Human Capital Development concerns in the trucking industry and Dr. Cole's research.

Dr. Cole and Dr. Annulis are invited to return to the show for a follow-up conversation Aug. 6. The show will broadcast from 1-2 p.m. on Sirius XM Radio Channel 146.

For information on the Southern Miss Human Capital Development program, which is based at the University's Gulf Park Campus in Long Beach, visit https://www.usm.edu/gulfcoast/department-human-capital-development.