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Psychology professor Larissa Barber receives international Early Career Achievement Award

August 1, 2017

Larissa Barber

NIU psychology professor Larissa Barber was recognized internationally earlier this summer for her cutting-edge work in occupational-health psychology.

Barber received the Early Career Achievement Award during the 12th International Conference on Occupational Stress and Health, held in June in Minneapolis. The conference is convened by the American Psychological Association, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the Society for Occupational Health Psychology.

The Early Career Achievement Award honors young researchers and practitioners from across the globe who have made exceptional early career contributions to the science and/or practice of occupational-health psychology. Individuals who received doctoral degrees during and since 2009 were eligible.

Barber’s published research has frequently made media headlines.

In 2014, she and NIU colleague Alecia Santuzzi coined the term “workplace telepressure” to describe the urge to quickly respond to emails, texts and voicemails – regardless of whatever else is happening or whether one is even “at work.” Workers who indicate they feel high levels of telepressure are more likely to report burnout, a feeling of being unfocused, health-related absenteeism and diminished sleep quality. The researchers later published a study showing college students can feel telepressure, too.

Barber also conducts research on work-life balance, sleep and counterproductive workplace behaviors.

Within the psychology department, Barber oversees the Occupational Health & Stress Laboratory at Northern Illinois University. She teaches psychology courses in industrial-organizational psychology, research ethics, personnel psychology and occupational-health psychology.