Louis Hickman
I hold my M.S. in Computer and Information Technology and a B.A. in English and Creative Writing. I grew up in rural Indiana, and currently live in West Lafayette with my wife, our 1-year old daughter Harper, our dog Eclipse, and our cat Invader, and we are expecting our second child in January 2021.
Research Interests: My research interests center on using technology, machine learning, and big data to advance the science of measurement and assessment, and to make assessment more accessible to and fair for all. This includes the use of multimodal behavioral data to measure individual differences, using social media to assess job attitudes, and developing methods to reduce algorithmic bias.
Why Mentorship is Important to Me: Quality mentorship is hard to find, yet as I know from personal experience, it can make all the difference in one’s academic and professional life. My commitment to mentorship is apparent in that several students who have worked for me as undergraduates have gone on to attend funded Industrial-Organizational Psychology PhD programs.
Daphne Hou
I am a 1st year Ph.D. student in Industrial Organizational Psychology. I am also a double boilermaker with a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in Human Resources from Krannert at Purdue. Since graduating I have worked in the industry for nearly four years with experience in talent management and HR business partnering, where my interests in IO psychology have accumulated and eventually drawn me back to school.
Research Interests: Wellbeing, vocational interest and career choice, resilience, conflict management, and culture
Why Mentorship is Important to Me: I have benefited from having amazing mentors through different stages of my life and career journeys, so I want to give back in any way I can. I think mentorship provides a safe environment to raise questions and exchange resources or ideas; having this kind of social support is key in one’s wellbeing. Therefore, for me, participating in the mentorship program is both meaningful and rewarding.
Other: In my spare time, I like hiking with friends, traveling, exploring new places (international or local) or experience, reading, and learning new things.
Sharon Li
Hi! I’m a 3rd year Ph.D. student working with Dr. Franki Kung in the Conflict and Mindset Collaboratory. I was born near Boston, Massachusetts, but grew up primarily between Toronto, Canada and Guangzhou, China. I received my B.S. in Psychology and Employment Relations from the University of Toronto in 2018.
Research Interests: I’m interested in diversity and culture issues in the workplace, with an emphasis on the integration, well-being, and perceptions of immigrant and refugee workers. I am also interested in better understanding the motivations behind employee mobility and job hopping behaviors as well as how we can cultivate employee motivation and well-being.
Mentorship: It wasn’t too long ago when I was an undergraduate student trying to figure out my next steps after college. All I knew was that I wanted to study I-O Psychology, but I didn’t know much else. Thankfully, I had a mentor in the field who connected me with relevant opportunities and encouraged me to apply to certain programs (like Purdue!). In the same way, I am excited to share my experiences in pursuing I-O psychology, offer my support and encouragement, and hopefully provide meaningful guidance for your potential future path in I-O!
Other: In my free time, I love to travel and explore new places, write, paint, and hike with my dogs.
Peter J. Mancarella
I am a first-year student working with Dr. Tara Behrend in the Workplaces and Virtual Environments (WAVE) Lab. I am from upstate New York, and in my free time I enjoy playing sports, reading, and traveling.
Research interests: In my research I seek to understand the effects of technology on people at work, improve workplace outcomes resulting from human-technology interactions, and use technology to improve wellbeing. My current areas of research include Electronic Performance Monitoring (EPM), virtual reality training, and interviews.
Why Mentorship is Important to Me: Throughout my undergraduate years and currently, my mentors have been crucial to my learning, development, and success. With the help of my mentors, I have developed my professional and career interests as well as my personal philosophies. I hope to help others do the same.
Jordan Mathew
Originally from Columbus, Ohio, I received my B.A. in psychology from The Ohio State University. After accidentally joining an attitudes and persuasion lab at OSU, my quasi-cynical ideas formed my current interest in understanding how individuals process and react to organizational persuasion attempts—with the hopes of discovering ways to cultivate organizational authenticity.
Research Interests: Broadly speaking, my research interests revolve around organizational culture as it is defined and experienced across multiple levels of an organization. More specifically, my research focuses on organizational authenticity (i.e., under what conditions are organizations and their members perceived as authentic), persuasion (e.g., employees’ psychological responses to corporate branding and persuasion attempts), and attitude formation in relation to organizational initiatives and desired outcomes (e.g., diversity & inclusion, creativity).
Why Mentorship is Important to Me: Throughout my life, I’ve worked with several mentors who’ve had a meaningful impact on me and I wouldn’t be the same person, nor have been offered the same opportunities, had they not taken the time to invest in me. It’s exciting to consider the possibility of helping others achieve their goals and subsequently impact the world positively.
Others: Outside of research, I enjoy drumming, reading, weightlifting, and fostering intentional community. I value meaningful conversations—whether academic or personal—regarding faith, diversity, and humor.
Bradley Pitcher
Hi, I’m Brad Pitcher. I’m originally from New York and went to Wheaton College in Illinois for my undergrad. I began my grad studies in IO psychology at George Washington University in DC and transferred to Purdue with my advisor this past fall.
Research Interests: My research interests are broad and include the psychological effects of technology in the workplace, the future of work, and the measurement of individual differences like personality and vocational interests.
Why Mentorship Is Important to Me: Mentorship was instrumental in both my personal and professional development in undergrad, and played a significant role in my decision to pursue IO psychology. I would love the opportunity to help other students in that same way.
Victoria Scotney
I started my graduate program in Industrial-Organizational Psychology in Fall 2019, and I work with Dr. Louis Tay in the Well-being and Measurement Lab. I am Canadian, and I earned my BA in psychology from the University of British Columbia (2019).
Research Interests: My current research interests include prosocial giving and receiving, well-being, research methods, and measurement.
Why Mentorship is Important to Me: I became passionate about research through working in a few different psychology research labs during my undergraduate degree. The professors and graduate students in those labs were a tremendous resource to me as I applied for graduate programs. I would love to mentor and support other students in the same way- both in learning more about research (particularly in I-O), and the graduate application process.
Nicole Strah (Schulz)
I am a 6th year graduate student in Purdue University’s Industrial and Organizational Psychology PhD program. I earned a M.S. from Purdue University in 2018. I have also taught PSY 272 and served as a mentor for undergraduate students within my research lab for five years.
Research Interests: I have published and worked on applied projects in the areas of gender equality in the workforce, diversity, organizational justice, and the intersection between psychology and the law. These areas represent my primary research interests.
Why Mentorship is Important to Me: I think mentorship is incredibly important since my own mentors made it possible for me to achieve my goals. It is important to pass that opportunity along to others who are earlier within their educational journeys.
Stuti Thapa
I am a PhD candidate in the I-O Psychology program at Purdue University. I am originally from Nepal but I graduated from St. Olaf college in Minnesota and worked as a lab manager at Brown University for 2 years.
Research Interests: My current interests include emotion dynamics, well-being, cross-cultural research, and novel statistical analyses.
Why Mentorship is Important to Me: I know from first hand experience how important mentorship is for those figuring out the next steps in their career, particularly if they are considering graduate school and research. Since IO Psychology is not a well-known subfield of Psychology, mentorship is particularly valuable for both students who are interested in the area and the graduate students (and others in the area) who want others to know more about the field.
Meaghan Tracy
I am a first-year student in the I-O program and a recent graduate of Purdue University.
Research interests: My research interests involve person-environment fit, individual differences, and their effect on subsequent work outcomes.
Why Mentorship is Important to Me: As a former undergraduate student at Purdue, I understand that navigating through course requirements and planning for life after college can be overwhelming. As a mentor, I am excited to help students find their own research interests, take advantage of opportunities at Purdue, and prepare for graduate school applications.
Jerod White
Bio: I started my PhD in I-O psychology in 2017 at George Washington University and transferred here to Purdue in 2020. I attended Penn State for my undergraduate degree, and during that time I interned at a test development company which helped spark my interest in I-O.
Research interests: Technology, personnel selection, performance management, age-related work issues
Mentorship: I probably wouldn’t be where I am now without the guidance I received as an undergrad from the I-O graduate students at Penn State. They helped me explore my own research interests and set personal goals that set me up for success down the road. This was a very rewarding experience for me as a mentee, and I hope to provide a similar experience for current undergraduate students.
Others: In my free time, I enjoy working out, running, hiking, and attending concerts (pre-covid)
Zhixu (Rick) Yang
Bio: I’m a first-year PhD student working with Dr. Franki Kung at the Conflict and Mindset Collaboratory. I grew up in China and received my B.S. in Psychology from Zhejiang University.
Research Interests: Broadly speaking, I seek to understand how individuals manage various conflicts at different levels (within-person, interpersonal, cross-cultural), aiming to help people achieve better well-being and performance. Specifically, I’m interested in: goals/motivation (e.g., goal conflict, multitasking), conflict (e.g., negotiation, work-life conflict), well-being (e.g., virtue, happiness), and culture.
Mentorship: I wouldn’t be who I am today without the support and guidance I’ve received from my mentors, in terms of both academic and personal growth. Thus, I would appreciate the opportunity for me to make a positive impact on your life and help you navigate your own path.