UT Adds New Professional Affiliation

The agreement includes an exclusive academic affiliation with HRI that includes the sharing of facilities, research and expertise across several academic disciplines.

“This relationship has immense potential for Tampa Bay area businesses both locally and internationally,” said Joe McCann, dean of UT’s John H. Sykes College of Business.

For example, HRI produces management reports on such subjects as demographic health, social, and political-legal issues; white papers on such diverse subjects as Generation X, security, a jobless society; and research papers on a myriad of critical human resource issues. It conducts seminars, conferences and slide presentations, and publishes most of its research for its 100-plus corporate members, most of which are Fortune 500 companies.

A few of HRI’s many national and worldwide members include 3M, American Express, Coca-Cola, Exxon-Mobil, FedEx, IBM, McDonald’s, Verizon and Ford Motor Company.

“For me and many of my peers at Ford, HRI has become our best and most trusted source for information about people-centric workplace issues,” says Steve Fitzgerald , vice president of Human Resources, Ford Credit.

HRI consists of Dr. William Pyle, chairman, and Jay Jamrog, executive director, and 15 research and professional staff members. HRI’s research was started in 1965 at the University of Michigan. Most recently, it was affiliated with Eckerd College in St. Petersburg. It will retain offices in St. Petersburg, but will also conduct research in facilities in the Sykes College of Business.

“HRI will be an affiliated research institute within the Sykes College of Business,” said McCann. “Our intent is to fully leverage each other’s capacities and strengths.”

Several joint initiatives already are underway, said McCann. “We foresee interaction between several academic departments within the University’s two colleges and with the immediate Tampa Bay business community.”

“My colleagues at HRI and our industry members are excited about our new affiliation with UT,” said Dr. Pyle, founder of HRI and recently appointed Distinguished Lecturer at UT. “I am particularly enthusiastic about working with UT’s outstanding faculty to develop a state-of-the-art master’s program in strategic human resources management.”

“Our members,” added Jamrog, “also are supporting this new graduate program by providing internships and guest lectures on innovative human resources practices. Several firms already have volunteered their support, including 3-M, the Home Depot, and the Federal Reserve System. We foresee opportunities for UT faculty and students to share in our research.

HRI gets glowing support from Andrew H. Hines Jr., retired CEO of Florida Progress. “The Human Resource Institute’s studies get to the heart of the matter. Through many years,” said Hines, “I have seen them spot the future and help businesses prepare for it.”

Another HRI member, Tampa Electric’s Vice President of Human Resources, Clint Childress, says , “HRI produces timely, cost-effective, cutting-edge research that helps keep our human resource policies and practices ahead of the curve.”

For more information, contact the Office of Public Information at publicinfo@ut.edu.