DR. BRENT J. LYONS

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

Research Assistant
Undergraduate Thesis Student

I am an undergraduate student studying a Specialized Honours Bachelor of Science in Psychology at York University. I am planning to pursue graduate studies in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, more specifically, studying the causes and prevention of stigmatization and discrimination in the workplace. Recently, I completed an independent study on the effects of disruptive disclosure in the workplace, and I am also currently working on a project researching the effects of political disclosure on workplace relationships.Through my undergraduate thesis, I am investigating how an evaluator's racial essentialism affects their response to a Biracial person's identity management strategy.

TIAN KUAN

Research Assistant

I am a Specialized Honours student at York University, who is interested in the Clinical and Counselling areas in psychology. I plan on completing a thesis project next term with a particular interest in personality, eating and mood disorders. I am also interested in studying social phenomenon in the workplace and their implications and effects on people's mood and work performance. I am hoping to pursue graduate studies and become a Registered Psychotherapist in the future!

KATHERINE MCGUIRE

Research Assistant

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.

KATHRYN MCKIE

Research Assistant

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

Research Assistant

I am an Honours Psychology student and my research interests include leadership development and stigma management strategies in dyadic workplace relationships. I have a background in healthcare, as I studied nursing prior to pursuing a degree in Psychology. I hope to further my studies in graduate school in an organizational behaviour capacity, with hopes of attaining a PhD, and someday working in Management & Healthcare Consulting.

ANDREJA STAJDUHAR

Research Assistant

I am an undergraduate student in the specialized honours Psychology program at York University. I hope to pursue graduate studies in Neuropsychology, with a specific focus on neurocognitive aging and neurodegenerative disease. Currently, I am investigating shape sensitivity throughout the lifespan, with the hope of identifying a robust and enduring representational gradient for objects along both the dorsal and ventral visual streams. When not in the lab, I enjoy hanging out with my friends, baking, and watching movies!