THE I/O PSYCHOLOGY AREA
OUR GRADUATE STUDENTS
Our graduate students are interested, and actively researching, in a number of areas of study. Most of our students pursue multiple topics of interest, and have a broad range of knowledge across the field of I/O psychology. Our students don't just study I/O psychology - they also further our knowledge and understanding of the field with their own research, and they present their findings to others in both departmental talks and national and international conferences. They're happy to answer questions any fellow researchers and prospective students may have about their research, their experiences in the program, and other general areas of inquiry.
NOELLE BAIRD
Noelle is currently pursuing her PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology with the joint supervision of Dr. Jennifer Robertson and Dr. Alex Benson. Noelle previously completed her MSc. at Western, where she examined the influence of hostile followership on leadership behaviour. Her research interests include leader-follower dynamics and status hierarchies in groups. Noelle is a recipient of the Douglas N. Jackson Memorial Award, awarded to the student with the most promising research potential incoming to Western University’s Industrial/Organizational Psychology program. Her hobbies include asking people when their birthday is, watching Jeopardy, and trying to find some zen on her yoga mat.
LEONID V. BELETSKI
Leonid is currently pursuing his PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology under the supervision of Dr. John Meyer. Some of his current research interests include work motivation and well-being, leadership, and organizational change. He is also interested in the application of person-centred methodology and analytic techniques in organizational science research. Leonid previously completed his MSc and BA in Psychology at Western. In his spare time, he enjoys good food, staying physically active, and spending time with friends and family.
SARAH CARVER
Sarah is pursuing her PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Joan Finegan. Her research focuses on workplace mistreatment and performance management. In 2019, Sarah received a Mitacs Globalink Research Award to work with Dr. Tara Reich at the University of Surrey. Sarah also works as a research assistant under the supervision of Dr. Richard Goffin and Dr. Natalie Allen. Her work has been presented at SIOP, APS, and CPA. In addition to her academic pursuits, Sarah is a member of the Research and Development team at SIGMA Assessment Systems. Sarah previously received her B.A. in Psychology at the University of Guelph and her M.Sc. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Western University. Sarah has been awarded a Canada Graduate Doctoral Scholarship and Canada Graduate Masters Scholarship from SSHRC for her PhD and M.Sc. research. When Sarah is not working, she enjoys traveling, hiking, and painting.
TREVOR COPPINS
Trevor is currently pursuing his PhD in Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Johanna Weststar. His primary research interests revolve around workplace attachments, motivation, employee well-being, project teams, and extreme working conditions. Related to these research interests, Trevor has also been involved in research projects with Dr. Johanna Weststar investigating how video game publishing organizations approach and deal with human resource management issues. His research has been in part funded through the Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship (Master’s), made possible by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). He was also the recipient of the Douglas N. Jackson award for research potential in the field of I/O Psychology. In the public speaking realm, Trevor’s masters thesis placed 1st in the faculty of Social Science’s 3 Minute Thesis competition and placed top 20 across Western University, where he presented his talk at the Wolf Performance Hall in London, Ontario. Outside of the office, Trevor enjoys cooking (and hopefully not burning) delicious meals, relaxing with a video game or movie, and desperately avoiding being hit in Muay Thai classes at a local gym.
ROY HUI
Roy is currently in his first year of his Master’s degree at Western under the supervision of Dr. Evans. His research interests at the moment include utilizing social network analysis (SNA) to explore how personality traits impact one’s position within it. Roy completed his B.Sc at the University of Waterloo and did his undergraduate honours thesis under Dr. Douglas Brown on abusive supervision and how it’s negative consequences can be mitigated by perspective taking. Outside of research, he enjoys basketball, guitar, anime, and video games.
LYNDEN JENSON
Lynden is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational psychology under the supervision of Dr. Alex Benson. His research interests include how hierarchies are behaviorally developed, negotiated, and communicated within groups. Lynden completed a Master of Science degree in Social Psychology at Western under the supervision of Dr. Erin Heerey on the effect of perceived role suitability on prestige, dominance, performance, and communication. Outside of academia, Lynden enjoys playing board games, guitar, camping, and cooking.
TALIB KARAMALLY
Talib Karamally is currently pursuing his MSc in Industrial/Organizational Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Jennifer Robertson. His research focuses on mindfulness interventions in the workplace, nature relatedness, and leadership development. Prior to his studies at Western University, Talib worked in organizational development and has experience implementing positive psychology interventions in organizations. He has experience facilitating courses on mindfulness meditation, happiness, and resilience. Additionally, he has experience designing leadership development programs and facilitating team building sessions using assessment tools. During his spare time, Talib enjoys belly dancing, weightlifting, and practicing hot yoga. Talib is also a certified laughter instructor and enjoys teaching laughter yoga classes.
SHRUTI KUMAR
Shruti is pursuing a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Johanna Weststar. Her research is focused on how employees’ intersectional identities impact their success in the workplace, particularly based on race, social class, and motherhood. Shruti is currently involved in a project examining the home working arrangements of university faculty and staff during the recent coronavirus pandemic. She is especially interested in the pandemic experiences of parents. Shruti is also pursuing applied industry experience in diverse settings. She has contributed to the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) reports, including the 2019 Developer Satisfaction Survey and 2019 Industry Trends Report (https://igda.org/dss/). She is currently working on upcoming reports. In her free time, Shruti enjoys baking cookies, reading novels, and spending time on her yoga mat. She is looking forward to seeing her family and friends and exploring new places once the pandemic is over.
EVA KWAN
Eva is a PhD candidate in I/O psychology under Dr. Johanna Weststar's supervision. Prior to arriving at Western University where she completed her master's degree, she received her bachelor's degree at UBC with a focus on psychology and commerce. Through multiple co-op internships with the operational space medicine team, she developed an interest in space psychology. Later, she worked in a support role on the Canadian astronaut recruitment campaign, which tapped into her interest in employee selection. Outside of extreme environments like space, her research interests include intersectionality, employee voice, mentorship, precarious workers, and inclusion in the workplace. More recently, her research has revolved around the adaption of diversity and inclusion initiatives in Ontario manufacturers. In her free time, she enjoys trying new bakeries, wandering through parks, and exploring bookstores.
ZHUO (ELZIE) LI
Zhuo is currently pursing his MSc. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Alex Benson. His research interests include leadership and followership, group/team dynamics with a focus on individual differences and cultural variation. In his spare time, Zhuo enjoys watching movies, cooking, taking long walks and travelling.
JENNIFER LYNCH
Jennifer is currently in her second year of Western’s MSc in Industrial/Organizational Psychology with the supervision of Dr. Alex Benson. Jennifer’s main research interests include group dynamics and personality. Jennifer is a recipient of the Douglas N. Jackson Award, awarded for promising research potential in Western University’s Industrial/Organization Psychology program. As well, she has received funding through the Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship (2020-2021), provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Outside of academia, Jennifer enjoys listening to music, watching documentaries, drawing as well as spending time with family and friends.
CULLEN MCCURRACH
Cullen is currently pursuing his MSc. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Richard Goffin. His main research interests include faking in personnel selection, the use of relative performance ratings, and facilitating feedback at work. Prior to joining the program, Cullen received his BA in Psychology from the University of Guelph, where he worked with several organizational research groups (i.e. OMS, the Guelph Selection Lab, the Guelph Organizational Trust Lab, and the Centre for Workers' Health and Well-being). Outside of campus life, Cullen enjoys backcountry hiking, exploring the city and spending time with his friends and family.
ALEXANDER MCGREGOR
Alex is currently pursuing his PhD in I/O psychology under the supervision of Dr. Alex Benson. His research interests at the moment include leadership emergence, team resiliency, CSR, and applying IO theory to humanitarian work settings. Alex completed his M.Sc at Western under the supervision of Dr. Mitch Rothstein on the role of self-regulation processes mediating between control beliefs and mental health outcomes. Outside of academia, Alex enjoys painting, practicing guitar, backpacking, playing baseball, and going on road trips.
JULIA MCMENAMIN
Julia completed her MSc in Industrial/Organizational Psychology at Western University, supervised by Dr. Natalie Allen. Her thesis examined engineering students’ career motivations, self-concepts, and beliefs about the field of engineering, with a focus on how these variables relate to gender. She is now working towards her PhD, also with Dr. Allen. Her research focuses primarily on teams in the workplace, especially those working in high-stakes settings, and isolated, confined and extreme conditions. She is also interested in the future of work, especially the impact of automation, artificial intelligence, and robotics on individuals and teams. She has worked as a Mitacs Accelerate research intern at an AI start-up company, and more recently at a business incubator. Beyond research and work, Julia enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing with her toddler, and reading (especially about research and work).
VISHAL SOOKNANAN
Vishal (He/Him) is currently pursuing his MSc. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Johanna Weststar. Prior to finding a passion for psychological research, Vishal worked as a marketing researcher and strategist. Working in the industry has fueled a desire to enact positive change in modern workplaces through research. Broadly, his research interests focus on diversity and inclusion practices in the workplace. Through his research, he hopes to better understand the unique challenges faced by racial and sexual minority groups. Currently, Vishal is working on contributing to the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) Diversity Report and looks forward to working on future industry reports, research projects and his thesis. When he’s taking a break from work, Vishal loves to get active by heading out for a run or to the gym. He loves to experience new foods and then try, sometimes fail, to recreate them at home. After that, he’s probably reading a good book or playing a great RPG.
Carly (she/her) is currently pursuing her MSc in Industrial/Organizational Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Blair Evans. She previously completer her BA in psychology at Brock University, where she examined the role of negatively phrased (i.e., reverse coded) questions on a well-known Behavioural Inhibition Scale. Her research interests lie within the realm of employee health and wellbeing. Carly is a recipient of the Canada Graduate Masters Scholarship (SSHRC) for her research exploring the implementation of Workplace Health and Wellness Interventions in small businesses. Outside of research, Carly enjoys spending time outdoors, on her yoga mat, and with her sweet little goldendoodle.
CARLY LUNDALE
Rachel (she/her) is currently pursuing her MSc in Industrial/Organizational Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Blair Evans. She previously completed her BA in psychology at the University of Alberta Augustana Campus where she studied how team grit emerges in small groups. Her research interests include team cognition and how individual characteristics, and perceptions influence team emergent states. Outside of academics, Rachel enjoys playing and coaching volleyball, drinking coffee, and reading.
RACHEL EDWARDS
CHELSEA VATERS
Chelsea completed her MSc at Western in Industrial/Organizational Psychology under the guidance of Dr. John Meyer. In her master's thesis, Chelsea examined motivation from the perspective of self-determination theory and the relationship between motivation and well-being. Chelsea is now working towards earning her PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology under the guidance of Dr. Meyer. She continues to pursue her interest in how motivation and well-being are defined and measured. In her spare time, Chelsea enjoys being outside exploring and growing her own vegetables. Chelsea loves to learn and she strives to think about things from different perspectives.
TIANYUE (TINA) XU
Tina is currently in her first year of the MSc in Industrial/Organizational Psychology with the supervision of Dr. Alex Benson. Her research interests include personality and social rank dynamics within workgroups. Her master's thesis aims to understand the relation between narcissism and upward-status disagreement over time. Tina is a recipient of the Ontario Graduate Scholarship, which is awarded to graduate students with high academic achievement and scholarly potential in Ontario. Outside of academia, Tina enjoys skiing, dancing, and playing guitar.