Connections that Build Careers: The Power of Field Experience to Pave Professional Pathways

Using the principles of psychology and behavior to drive positive, lasting change across organizations was not always in the cards for Chelsea E. White, MA. While historically drawn to psychology, an early-career stint spent working as a mental health case manager made it clear that a clinical path was not the right fit. Instead, White noticed a pattern emerging in her professional life: supervisors repeatedly asking her to train new employees and enhance the onboarding experience. After seeing this play out in multiple roles, White recognized a clear path forward—one rooted in organizational psychology.

“The chance to gain a more formal education in the field, at a College boasting concentrated expertise in psychology coupled with an emphasis on experiential education, was especially appealing,” says White, a 2024 graduate of the Master of Arts in Organizational Psychology (MAOP) program at William James College. Seminal to her experience? A serendipitous field placement.

Learning by Doing

With the support of the OLP Field Placement team, White began exploring the options that aligned with her career goals. Keen on finding a field site that would allow for her interests in healthcare and organizational psychology to converge, an opportunity at Dartmouth Health Children’s immediately stood out. During her interview with Senior Practice Manager, Pediatric Ambulatory Practices, James Judd, PhD (and a 2014 MAOP graduate), White began to envision a clear path forward.  The timing couldn’t have been better. As Dartmouth Health Children's prepared to tackle employee retention by boosting engagement and belonging (following an independent consulting firm’s recent assessment), Judd saw an opportunity to support the organization’s goals while creating a purposeful, hands-on field placement for White. Together, they set to work developing and refining an onboarding program for new employees—including physicians, nurses, and flow staff—across all the pediatric specialties. 

As White dove deeper into the onboarding literature, another convergence occurred. 

At the same time she and Judd were creating employee surveys, White was learning how to phrase questions and analyze data, with an eye toward identifying themes. After learning about the importance of feedback loops, White applied the concept to employee surveys and interviews to further improve the program. A foundational MAOP course, Organizational Assessment: Qualitative and Quantitative,put other tools aimed at systematically evaluating an organization's people, processes, and structures to understand its current health and capacity at White's fingertips.  

“I was able to apply what I was learning through coursework in real time to my field placement,” says White who played a central role in shaping and strengthening the organization’s onboarding experience. During her internship year, she developed and implemented a new process for both clinical and non-clinical employees, with a clear focus on improving engagement and long-term retention. Along the way, White worked closely with stakeholders, leadership, and staff—regularly presenting updates and gathering feedback to refine the program. To ensure the onboarding experience was effective, she also designed and administered surveys for newly hired employees, using that data to assess outcomes and guide ongoing improvements. 

The cohort model proved invaluable to her concurrent classroom experience.

“Learning from and sharing different theories and models with others when we met during residency or conversed on the discussion boards was especially impactful," says White, who was part of the Talent Management concentration.  

Real-World Application and Research Presentations

Following her August 2024 graduation from the MAOP program, White continued to meet weekly with Judd. In December, long after her last practicum hours had been logged, she was offered a job at Dartmouth Health Children’s. When the chair of pediatrics acknowledged the value in what the onboarding program was doing for Dartmouth Health Children’s, a two-year, grant-funded program coordinator position was created—paving the way for the colleagues and William James College graduates to continue their collaboration.

Since then, Judd and White continue to receive national attention for their work. In November 2025, their poster—Innovation in Onboarding: From Theory to Practice—was presented at the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) Annual Leadership Conference in Chula Vista, California. The poster garnered so much interest that Judd was invited to present it nationally at the CHA’s Together for Kids: Pediatric Quality Conference in Arlington, Texas, which took place in March. Both opportunities allow for moving forward with continued refinement of the program which—with guidance by Industrial and Organizational Psychology principles, practice and literature—boasts a retention rate of 90% over 18 months.

In a recent LinkedIn post, Judd commented on his collaboration with White, referring to her as a student turned colleague who assisted with the program's initial and ongoing development. “We look forward to further conversation and opportunities to present this innovation in onboarding to support employee inclusion, diversity, and belonging as well as retention,” said Judd. The pair, who remain open to scaling the program, have been in conversation with Select Health and Mazda North American Operations with interest from a diverse range of others in between. 

Sustained Connections

As the healthcare system continues to grow, White is excited to see how the onboarding program expands. In addition to managing the referral program for eight pediatric specialties, White keeps her finger on the pulse of the onboarding process. Regular meetings with management afford her the chance to assess program effectiveness and identify areas for improvement; routine research allows her to enhance and streamline the process and learn best practices for continued development. With her two-year term on track to expire in December, a request to extend it by an additional year has been made.

“I'm incredibly grateful that [Dartmouth Health Children's] created an opportunity for me   to work in healthcare, improve the employee experience within a hospital system, and help folks feel like they belong in the organization” says White. In late April, she, Judd and Darlene M. Piva, PsyD, Director, MA in Organizational Psychology met up at the 2026 SIOP (Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychologists) annual conference in New Orleans—reprising their meet up in Denver for last year’s conference. In addition to a continued onboarding conversation and myriad professional development opportunities, the mini WJC reunion proved a welcome chance for White to reflect on the team spirit of her success to date. 

“William James College provides a rich experience of knowledge and support,” said White of the nurturing environment she encountered as a student, one amplified by the dedication and real-life experiences of faculty like Piva (another William James College alum) who served as White’s advisor. Other mentors provided support along the way: Enin Rudel, PsyD, LCSW, shared practical insights from his consulting experience and offered advice on how to approach challenging scenarios when the unexpected arises. Dana De Nault, PsyD, MA was incredibly knowledgeable, and his course literature—including Predictable Success by Les McKeown—ranks among the many resources White has carried into her career.

From White’s perspective, staying closely connected to academia is a fantastic way to keep abreast of new developments in the field and maintain connections. Looking ahead, the College’s Leadership Psychology PsyD program remains a strong possibility to continue learning and challenging herself. Three years after embarking on her MAOP journey, White continues to employ skills gleaned in the very early days to refine her current approach. This fact alone keeps her mindful of the effort needed to elicit change and sustain it. “I was always hopeful I might find a job at the end of my field placement, but it was never a guarantee,” says White, “But it actually happened to me—I was hired by a WJC alum—which has been a dream.” 

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