PRIMARY INVESTIGATORS

DR. BRENT J. LYONS

(HE/HIM/HIS)

Lab Director

Associate Professor of Organization Studies
York Research Chair in Stigmatization and Social Identity

Through research, I aim to understand peoples’ experiences with stigma and social identity in organizations. I examine how people whose social identities are devalued navigate employment contexts (e.g., job search, workplace) to avoid, manage, and/or overcome stigmatization and its consequences for their work lives and careers. I also examine how organizational initiatives about diversity and inclusion play a role in exacerbating and/or mitigating peoples’ experiences of stigmatization. My research has been published in journals such as Academy of Management Review, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management, and Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, and has been funded by grants from SSHRC and CIHR. I received my PhD in Organizational Psychology from Michigan State University.

DR. WINNY SHEN

Collaborator and Research Supervisor
Associate Professor of Organization Studies

Trained as an industrial/organizational psychologist, I am currently an Associate Professor of Organization Studies at the Schulich School of Business, York University. My goal is to help businesses and organizations become more inclusive, productive, and healthy. To this end, my program of research centers on three themes: (1) diversity and inclusion in the workplace, with an emphasis on gender-related issues, (2) organizational leadership, and (3) worker well-being, particularly work-family issues and the consequences of workplace understaffing.

CAMELLIA BRYAN

Lab Manager
PhD Student

I am a direct-entry PhD student. The main objective of my research is to help organizations unlock the potential of stigmatized individuals as our workforce, and broader society becomes increasingly diverse. I study stigma identity management from both the perspective of the stigmatized and external audiences reactions to these identity management strategies. Beyond stigma identity management, I am also interested in examining how workplace interactions and relationships can lead to de-stigmatization. I am the recipient of the Elia Scholar award for 2017-2020, York University’s most prestigious award for incoming PhD students, and the Anthony P.Cunliffe scholarship.  Before my PhD, I worked a manager of a fundraising team for non-profits. You can learn more about my research at www.camelliabryan.com

CAREN COLACO

I am a senior research assistant at the Stigma and Identity Lab. I will be starting my MA/PhD in Industrial/ Organizational Psychology at The University of Guelph this Fall. Prior to this, I earned my Specialized Honours BSc in Psychology at York University. I completed my undergraduate thesis under the supervision of Dr. Brent Lyons, where I investigated single race evaluator impressions of biracial employees in hiring contexts. I hope to continue this research by exploring the effects of prejudice toward employees with multiple stigmatized identities. I am also interested in how hiring practices may promote and maintain inequality.

LOVLEEN GILL

I am an MBA student at the Schulich School of Business. I have returned to the university after completing a Master of Management degree in 2019. Prior to that, I completed a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences at the University of Guelph, specializing in Neuroscience and Psychology. In my career, I work as a Management Consultant within the franchising industry. Having a background in psychology, there is not a day that goes by where I do not see the theories and writings of Organizational Psychology, brought to life in the workplace. By continuing to research Organizational Psychology, I hope to become a more effective leader, build stronger working relationships and create more inclusive workplaces.

TIAN KUAN

I am a Specialized Honours student at York University, who is interested in the Clinical and Counselling areas in psychology. For my honours thesis, I am currently exploring the impacts of autism in families. I am also interested in studying social phenomenon in the workplace and their implications and effects on mental health and work performance. I hope to immerse myself with a wide variety of research methodologies in psychology before pursuing graduate studies!

JANICE LAM

I am a PhD student in Organization Studies. My research focuses broadly on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Recent projects of mine consider how individuals'  social identities (e.g., race, gender) impact their perceptions of events as well as others' perceptions of them, along with subsequent effects on workplace outcomes. Prior to this, I earned my Honours Bachelors of Arts in Psychology at Western University and a Master of Science in Organizational Behaviour and Human  Resource Management at the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University.

KATHERINE MCGUIRE

I’m a third year undergraduate student in the Psychology program at York University with plans to pursue graduate studies in Clinical Psychology. I hope to integrate my interests in clinical psychology and my passion for social justice issues to help individuals in the community facing mental health issues. Outside of school, I volunteer at my local hospital in the psychiatric unit and enjoy hiking with my dog, Chloe.

KATIE MCKIE

I am a third year specialized honours psychology student pursuing a career in clinical psychology. I plan on doing my thesis next year and then applying to graduate school. My research interests include mental illness in the workplace, PTSD, personality disorders, and depression and anxiety.

JEAN-MARC MOKE

I am an undergraduate Specialized Honours Psychology student. My interests combine the study of positive leadership through the interaction of teams, and ethical leadership through inclusion. I seek to understand racial and cultural representation in leadership structures, helping organizations tackle decision making problems within their teams. I also founded and lead a Black student association on campus that endeavours to help rectify Black representation in graduate programs through student engagement. Prior to my undergraduate career, I worked in healthcare as a nurse, and I’m currently building up my hiking gear collection.

ANH NGUYEN

I'm a fourth year student in the Specialized Honours Psychology program. My interest centers on the area of clinical psychology, especially addiction and cognitive functioning. I am currently conducting my honour thesis examining the relationship between schizophrenia, substance use and memory. My goal is to attain more clinical experiences after graduation and continue to develop my research skills.