Victor Devinatz and John Pryor Named Distinguished Professors

Illinois State University President Al Bowman has appointed Victor Devinatz, Management and Quantitative Methods, and John Pryor, Psychology, as Distinguished Professors at Illinois State.

The Distinguished Professor designation honors faculty members of distinction who have demonstrated to the broader community that excellence is the foundation of the University.  Among the criteria for appointment are achieving national recognition for scholarly research, creative production or leadership in creative or scholarly activities.  In addition, candidates must have been clearly identified by students, colleagues or external agencies as an outstanding teacher or must have contributed significant public service in accord with his or her academic discipline.

Distinguished Professors are invited to deliver one public lecture or presentation on a topic of their choosing, receive a $1,000 budget per annum in support of activities as a Distinguished Professor and continue to hold the title throughout their service to Illinois State.

Devinatz (pictured to the left) came to Illinois State in 1991 to teach in the areas of industrial relations and human resource management. He received his bachelor's degree in physical education and a master's degree in sport psychology from Northwestern University, a master's degree in labor studies from the University of Massachusetts and his Ph.D. in industrial relations from the University of Minnesota.  His research focuses include collective bargaining, labor relations, union organizing and U.S. labor history.  

Devinatz has published (or has had accepted for publication) nearly 100 journal articles and chapters in edited volumes and specialized encyclopedias. Additionally, his scholarly work has been published in a number of  premier refereed journals/research volumes including Industrial Relations, Advances in Industrial & Labor Relations, Science & Society, and the Journal of Labor Research, among others. Additionally, Devinatz's research has been cited in top-tier management and industrial/labor relations journals such as Academy of Management Review, Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Industrial Relations, British Journal of Industrial Relations, Journal of Labor Research and Labor Studies Journal as well as interdisciplinary social scientific journals such as Science & Society, among others. Moreover, his research has also been referenced in the leading U.S. labor relations textbooks including The Labor Relations Process, Labor Relations: Development, Structure, Process and Labor Relations: Striking a Balance.  Devinatz is also the author of the book "High-Tech Betrayal: Working and Organizing on the Shop Floor."

Devinatz has been recognized as a Caterpillar Faculty Scholar, the College of Business Researcher and the Outstanding University Researcher.  He serves as the editor of the Perspectives Section of the Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal and as an editorial board member for the Labor Studies Journal, Journal of Workplace Rights, Working USA: The Journal of Labor and Society, the Journal of Collective Negotiations and Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal.  Devinatz is a frequent media expert for international-level publications such as The Economist and The South China Morning Post as well as the Bureau of National Affairs in Washington, D.C.

Pryor (pictured to the right) came to Illinois State in 1985.  He earned his bachelor's degree in psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and his master's degree and doctorate in psychology from Princeton University.  Pryor is an internationally recognized scholar in the areas of social psychology of stigma and the nature of sexual harassment.  He has been at the forefront of social psychological research on HIV-related stigma and society's perceptions and attitudes toward people with HIV.

Pryor has published 81 journal articles and chapters in edited volumes and made over 180 presentations at conferences and colloquia.  His work has appeared in top academic outlets including the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, AIDS & Behavior and AIDS.  Pryor, whose work has been extensively cited, has been supported by grants from the Office of Naval Research, National Centers for Disease Control, National Science Foundation, Department of Veterans Affairs and the AED/Ford Foundation.  He has served as a grant reviewer for the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health and the Social Science and Humanities Research Counsel of Canada.

Pryor served as the College of Arts and Sciences research coordinator for three years and as an interim chair for the Psychology department.  He has supervised more than 50 graduate students in their thesis or dissertation research and more than 120 undergraduate students in either honors program or independent studies projects.  Pryor is a fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, the Midwestern Psychological Association and the Society for Experimental Social Psychology.  He is an editorial board member for Basic and Applied Social Psychology, Psychological Inquiry, and Sex Roles.  Pryor received the Outstanding College Researcher Award and Outstanding University Researcher Award as well as the College of Arts and Sciences Lecturer.