Collaborators and Friends

Fiona Lee

I am a Full Professor of Psychology. I joined U-M’s Psychology department in 1995. I received my PhD in Social Psychology from Harvard University, and my bachelor’s degree in Economics and Psychology from Scripps College. I teach courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including Introduction to Organizational Psychology, Human Behavior in Organizations, and Research Methods.

I was born in the United Kingdom, and grew up in Hong Kong. I have lived in Los Angeles, Boston, before moving to Michigan. Before graduate school, I was a management consultant and became interested in social behaviors within organizations. My research also focuses on biculturalism, discrimination, racial/ethnic identity, and cultural differences. I am interested in using multiple methods in my research, including experiments, surveys, and interviews. I work closely with both graduate and undergraduate students on my research projects.

Chi Ying Cheng

I am an Associate Professor of Psychology and IRB Chair at Singapore Management University. I received my PhD in Organizational Psychology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. I received my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from National Taiwan University. My research examines how individuals negotiate their multiple social identities and reap the benefits of intra-personal diversity from various types of identity integration. My research investigates identity integration of multiple self, cultural, racial, gender, and professional identities. The program of my identity integration research demonstrates the cognitive mechanisms underlying individuals’ identity management strategies as well as outcomes of identity integration including creativity. Recently, I initiated a new line of research in Singaporeans’ Kiasu (Fear of Losing Out, FoLO) mindset. Specifically, I investigate how Kiasu (FoLO) mindset as an indigenous Singaporean psychological construct influences Singaporeans’ well-being and performance. My work has been published in top-tier journals both in Psychology and Management, including Psychological Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), Social Psychological and Personality Science, Leadership Quarterly and Journal of Organizational Behavior. I am the Lee Kong Chian Fellow in 2022-23. I have served as Associate Editor of the Asian Journal of Social Psychology and the Editorial Board of the Journal of International Business Studies. Her areas of teaching include self and identity, personality and individual differences, cultural psychology, industrial/organizational psychology, and business negotiation.

Mari Kira

I am a faculty member at the Personality and Social Contexts area, the Department of Psychology, University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and a docent of Organizational Behavior at the Aalto University School of Science, Finland. I also am a faculty associate at the Center for Positive Organizations, University of Michigan.

I graduated with a PhD at the Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden. After that, I have worked as a European Commission Marie Curie Fellow at the University of Kassel in Germany, as an Academy Research Fellow at the Aalto University School of Science, Finland, and as a senior researcher at the University of Giessen, Germany.

My research approaches people’s lives contextualized in social structures and systems, illuminating how theories and concepts in psychology gain more meaning and power when grounded in relevant social contexts. Drawing from personality, positive, and organizational psychology, I explore adult psychological growth that can emerge from struggles with work and life adversities. In addition, I explore the meaning of wellbeing in the context of adversarial life circumstances (e.g., forced displacement) and the strategies and resources that foster people’s wellbeing in such situations.

Brianna Ross (she/her/ella)

I am a third-year PhD Candidate in the Personality and Social Contexts area of Psychology. I was born in Long Island, NY but grew up in the Chicago-area. I am a self-proclaimed foodie and an entertainment nerd (music, anime, film/tv). 

Prior to attending U of M, I earned Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Communication Studies from University of North Carolina- Wilmington and a Master’s degree in Psychology from North Carolina Central University. My research examines how Black folks’ experiences of discrimination and intersecting identities (e.g., ethnic-racial identity) influence their engagement with collective action and well-being strategies.

Ariel Yang

I am a third-year PhD student in the Joint Psychology and Women’s Studies program. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Gender Studies at University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2021. I have a broad interest in gender and sex, and processes of prejudice and biases. With Drs. Fiona Lee and Mari Kira, I’m studying the experience of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) discrimination and how that relates to AAPI individuals’ unique cultural backgrounds. I’m originally from Taiwan. I got hooked with research while completing my undergraduate thesis. I enjoy doing research and applying them to a range of topics. I hope I can use social psychological research to make impacts in my community. These research skills also benefit my daily life, for example, when studying my cat, Pavlov.

SJ Shin (they/any) 

I am a third-year undergraduate student with a double major in Social Theory and Practice & Arts and Ideas in the Humanities. I was born in Seoul, South Korea, grew up in Jakarta, Indonesia, and strongly identify as a city girl. Some things that I’m interested in: the ways artistic practice can be a form of radical healing and community building; crocheting gifts for loved ones; the intersections of identity, activism, and well-being; and learning how to finally succeed in latte art.

Danny Hwang 

I am a senior double majoring in political science and international studies. I joined U-M’s community in 2019 and is expected to graduate in Fall 2024. After graduation, I plan to attend law school in the U.S. and study international law. My passion for the law stems from my interests in human rights, immigration, and justice, which were also key to my decision to join the Lee Lab despite my limited background in psychology!

I was born in South Korea but moved to Chile when I was two. After graduating high school in 2018, I moved from Chile to Michigan to pursue my B.A. Currently, I am living my last days in Michigan as a proud Wolverine. Additionally, my favorite hobby is running to my favorite location on campus: the Arb.

Lorin Alousi 

I am a student at the University of Michigan, majoring in Cognitive Science with a concentration in Decision and Cognition. Born and raised in Dearborn, Michigan, I have been living in Michigan since birth. You can find me enjoying activities such as yoga, drawing, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. I also love taking long walks with my Australian Shepherd, Yukon. 

For an internship during Summer 2022, I worked at Urban Science, assisting with automotive consulting projects in Detroit. During Summer 2023, I interned at General Motors Financial, where I got hands-on experience as a Digital Program Management Intern and overlooked project goals and KPIs for operations in General Motors’s International Markets. I have been working as a Research Assistant at the Fiona Lee Lab since September 2023.

Qing Shen 

I am a third-year undergraduate student in Mathematics. I was born and raised in Wuhan, China. I like reading, walking, and traveling.

Judy Zhu 

I am a junior double-majoring in Psychology and Cognitive Science. I originally come from Shanghai, China. I’m very interested in the intersection between social and developmental psychology and plans to pursue a PhD in the field of psychology. I’m a big fan of musicals and theater plays. I also have a calico cat named Rosa, who is 1 year old.

Ahmed Elkhatib 

I am a sophomore majoring in BCN (Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience) and minoring in Arabic Studies on the pre-med track in the hopes of pursuing psychiatry. I have lived the majority of my life in Dearborn, MI. The Lee Lab’s research resonated with me due to the work exploring multicultural identity. For example, an “Arab American” is its own separate identity from “Arab” and “American”, not just a conglomerate of the two identities.

In my free time I love to read and write. My favorite book is “Sun and Steel” by Yukio Mishima. Currently, I am slogging through “The Idiot” by Fyodor Dostoevsky. When I write I try to write about topics that are personal to me as an Arab American. Expressing the bittersweetness of my identity, I believe it warrants its existence. Besides that, I love to be regularly disappointed by the latest Jujutsu Kaisen chapters.

Haley Mozen (she/her) 

I am a senior majoring in psychology with a minor in crime and justice. I plan to start the University of Michigan’s Masters in Social Work program fall of 2024. My interests and hobbies include volunteering at Ele’s Place, camping, reading, and child and adolescent psychology.

Sheila Wee 

I recently attained my PhD in Psychology from Singapore Management University, Singapore. I received my bacholor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology  from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Now that I’ve moved back to Singapore, I am incredibly fascinated with cross-cultural differences and similarities in social behaviors. My experience studying abroad navigating different cultural nuances, and my training in both psychology and sociology got me interested in racial relations, self and identity.