Global Ambassador: Zhixu Yang

Zhixu (Rick), from China, is a MS student in Industrial-Organization Psychology. His research focuses on how people juggle multiple goals in their life and work. Why do people like to multitask? What are the strategies we can use to manage goal conflicts? He also is researching how to promote collaborations in interpersonal conflict situations, such as negotiations. He cares about the well-being and performance implications of his research.

Ambassador Q & A (Questions and Answers)

Why did you choose Purdue?
I really liked the curriculum of MS Marketing as it had a great mix of Marketing and Analytics. Also, I could see that the Boiler alumni network is huge and after talking to some recent alumni from Purdue, I was confident that Purdue is the right choice for my graduate degree.

How did you decide what to study?
I majored in Psychology in my undergrad, and I was interested in the real-world implications of psychological theories to improve people’s life. I thought I-O Psychology was a perfect fit for me because it focuses on both science and practice and has direct implications for people’s work, which is probably one of the most salient life domains.

What was your process for selecting a graduate school?
I mainly focused on academic research interest fit with potential advisors, reputation of the program in the academic field, as well as reputation and resources of the university as a whole.

What is your favorite fact about Purdue?
There are kind, supportive, and open-minded students and professors around me. This is really important to a graduate student’s well-being.

Where do you spend most of your time on campus?
Except for my office, it’s probably the cafes on campus (e.g., Lavazza, Grey House), where I love doing my work.

How did you decide where to live?
I searched resources and recommendations online and asked students at Purdue. Price and location were my major concerns.

What does your travel from China to Purdue look like?
I came to Purdue during the COVID, so it was difficult. But I’m glad that I made it.

What’s one thing prospective students from China should know about Purdue?
There are many resources for international students. For example, Purdue Language and Cultural Exchange (PLaCE) offers short courses for international students to improve our English language.

How do you keep yourself organized?
I use Google Calendar to arrange my meetings and schedules. I tried other productivity tools as well.

How do you de-stress in your free time?
I like to binge watch TV series, hang out with friends, try good restaurants in town.

What are you hoping to do after you graduate from Purdue?
I’m not sure yet. I’m still passionate about being a professor in a university, doing my research and mentoring students. But I’m also open to becoming a research scientist in the industry to help individuals and organizations with my knowledge in I-O Psychology.

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