Our Lab Members
Principal Investigator
Franki Kung (PhD, University of Waterloo, Canada) is an Associate Professor at the Department of Psychological Sciences at Purdue University. His research focuses on conflict management, often through the lens of lay beliefs that unpacks how the assumptions and perceptions people hold affect their ability to self-regulate in pursuit of conflict resolution and community thriving. Dr. Kung is trained in both industrial-organizational and social psychology. His work has employed diverse and mixed methods (e.g., experimental, qualitative, longitudinal).
Growing up as a first-generation high school student in British Hong Kong and having lived in several countries, Dr. Kung has firsthand experience with both the opportunities and tensions that arise from cultural and group differences. Dr. Kung’s dedication to building an inclusive field of science to advance both scholars and scholarship guides his career goals and research, as well as his teaching and engagement with Purdue communities and beyond.
At Purdue, he serves as the Director of Community Success in the Department of Psychological Sciences. Beyond the university, he is part of Reviewer Zero and SPSP’s Promoting Inclusive Excellence in Publishing Committee. He currently serves on eight editorial boards (e.g., Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Journal of Business and Psychology, Academy of Management Discoveries) and will join Personality and Social Psychology Review as an Associate Editor (starting January 2026).
Email: fkung@purdue.edu | CV | Faculty Website
Graduate Students
Aryca Peay Woodson is a communication strategist with extensive experience in executive and internal communication, specializing in change management communication from planning through stabilization. She has led and supported large-scale organizational transformations via strategic storytelling to drive engagement and alignment across nonprofit and global healthcare sectors. Her consultancy work has included advising and coaching leaders on how to communicate and manage change effectively in complex environments.
Aryca is now pursuing a Ph.D. in social psychology, where her research interests focus on understanding the psychological mechanisms that underlie effective leadership communication, particularly in contexts of social polarization. She is motivated by a commitment to exploring how communication can foster shared understanding, strengthen collective identity, and bridge divides.
Aryca holds a B.S. in Management from Purdue University and an M.A. in Public Relations Management from Indiana University–Indianapolis.
Email: apwoodso@purdue.edu
Dante Bruno is a 4th year graduate student studying I-O Psychology at Purdue University. He received a Bachelors degree in Industrial Engineering from Purdue in 2020 and went on to work in supply chain for two years. Currently, Dante does research on inclusion in the workplace and cross-cultural teamwork. In his career, he hopes to work in people analytics or talent acquisition helping organizations harness insights from psychological research to make work and workplaces more inclusive, productive, and enjoyable particularly for employees of marginalized identities. Outside of the lab, you can find Dante running, swing dance, and reading.
Email: dbruno@purdue.edu
Hannah Kim is a first year PhD student studying I-O Psychology at Purdue University. Her research interests include workplace discrimination, DEI, stigmatized identities, and disclosures. In her free time, Hannah enjoys creating playlists, exploring new cafes, going on hikes, and reading.
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Praharsha Manda is a senior majoring in Psychological Sciences and minoring in Human Resource Management. Her research interests include productivity, interpersonal relationships within the workplace and implicit biases. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school to pursue a Masters in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. Outside of the lab, you can find Praharsha at the Horticulture Park on campus or at a national park (her current favorite is Mount Rainier National Park).
Affiliated Graduate Student Researchers
Kira Means is a 3rd year PhD Candidate in Social Psychology at Purdue University, working primarily with Dr. Thekla Morgenroth. She is broadly interested in studying feminism, gender, and unexpected or internally inconsistent biases. She is also interested in advanced quantitative methods and best practices in data analysis. In spring 2017, she earned her B.A. in Psychology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from the University of Montana. After graduating, she participated in a year of AmeriCorps VISTA service in Washington, DC. She received her M.S. in Experimental Psychology from Western Washington University in spring 2021 and then was Lab Manager of the Brauer Group Lab at the University of Madison-Wisconsin during the following academic year.
Shabeba Islam is a fourth year student in the Clinical Psychological Sciences program working with Dr. David Rollock at Purdue University, and received her Master of Science degree in 2024. She was born and raised in New York City, and graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies in 2020, as well as a Master of Arts degree in Psychology in 2021. Shabeba’s research interests include increasing access to mental health services in communities of color, well-being and resilience in South Asian and Muslim communities, and acculturation processes for South Asian immigrants. She is a first-generation student and has an interest in studying internalizing disorders and psychometrics on a cross-cultural scale. At the conclusion of her PhD, Shabeba hopes to serve underrepresented communities through research and practice. Her ultimate goal is to find a faculty position at a major research university and conduct psychological assessments. Outside of the lab, Shabeba is an avid writer and traveler. She loves to spend time visiting art exhibits and museums, and can be found in cute coffee shops reading.
Shagun Sethi is a third year PhD candidate in the Department of Sociology at Purdue University. Her research focuses on social inequality in the domains of work and family. Specifically, she is interested in studying gender, culture and social psychological processes.
She has a master’s degree in Global Affairs from Columbia University, where she studied on a merit fellowship. Shagun serves as a Director for Global Leadership for One Shared World, and, for her work on global leadership and development, she has been recognized on India’s A list.
Prior to pursuing her doctorate, she worked as a global lead program manager for Wedu, where she designed and implemented women's leadership, mentorship and development programs across 28+ countries in Asia. Shagun has brought her expertise in research to Urban Design, and serves as a Research Fellow at Leading Cities, Boston USA, where she has published ‘Walk With Women: Gendered Perceptions of Safety in Urban Spaces’.
Outside of work, Shagun enjoys finding new and hidden food joints, walking and exploring (new) cities, swimming, reading or finding a exploring diy crafts and projects.
Lab Alumni
Noah Wilson (2024-2025); Wen Yin (2023-2025); Firesola (Desirée) Osobajo (2023-2025); Raechel Johnson (2022-2025); Minjae (Jason) Kim (2023-2025); Melinda Michalski (2022-2024); Paulina Tangassi (2022-2024); Brianna Woltz (2022-2024); Brandon Krivsky (2023-2024); Lilly Linneweber (2023-2024); Elias Knable (2023-2024); Kristin Rinkel (2023-2024); Hannah Idrissi Alami (2024); Vineeth Narra (2023-2024); Emma Showalter (2022-2023); Renhao (Kevin) Zhao (2022-2023); Haley O'Neal (2022-2023); Bhavti Shah (2022-2023); Hannah Myers (2022-2023); Christina Kelley (2020-2023); Rainah Ross (2023); Alexandra Zuniga (2023); Sharon Li (PhD Student 2018-2023); Sami Lapka (Lab Manager 2020-2022); Paige Loessy (2021-2022); Katelin Bauer (2020-2022); Brianna Foreman (2020-2022); Alicia Opsahl (2021-2022); Victoria Garden (2021-2022); Broderick Schipp (2021-2022); Ariel Velasco (2022); Alexandra Harris (2022); Lily Bachar (2022); Alyanna Reyes (2022); Ashley Niebrugge (2022); Arabella Michael (2022); Ryan Greaser (2020-2021); Ramya Anbarasu (2021); Jenna Burow (2020-2021); Vrushika Shah (2021); Angela Zhang (2020-2021); Cassidy Underwood (2021); Megan Mitchell (2020-2021); Rhusha Arramreddy (2020-2021); Charlotte Albrecht (2021); Kamryn Bridges (2021); Javier Camarillo (2021); Sarah Firestone (2021); Ryan Sauter (2020-2021); Nicole Reisinger (2021); Kendall Gregrich (2021); Ashley Stallsworth (2019-2020); Lindsay Drake (2020); Kailee Mott (2020); Sebastian Reimer (2020); Alex Swan (2020); Ash (Chenzhang) Xu (2018-2019); Darrien Lindsay (2018-2019); Mitushi Mukherjee (2018-2019); Ashley Schenk (2019); Sarah Ilene Arnold (2019); Averi Schumaker (2019); Lehar Chellani (2019); Katherine Tuey (2019)
Alumni Updates
Dr. Sharon Li received her PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Purdue University in 2023. After graduation, she worked as a Research Scientist in an HR solutions company, and currently works at Amazon. Her expertise focuses on cultural diversity in the workplace, including immigrant worker integration and well-being, and Asian American stereotypes at work (e.g., mechanistic dehumanization).
Dr. Zhixu (Rick) Yang received his PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Purdue University in 2025. He is currently an assistant professor at Baruch College at City University of New York. He studies how people experience conflict—whether balancing competing goals, negotiating disagreements, or facing biases and mistreatment—and how these processes shape well-being at work and beyond. Bridging theories from multiple disciplines, he uses rigorous methods (e.g., psychometrics, multilevel and longitudinal analyses, experiments, and qualitative approaches) to produce actionable, data-driven insights that advance individual thriving and organizational effectiveness. https://www.iopsych-baruch.com/zhixu-rick-yang
Highlights of Graduate/Post Baccalaureate Updates
Emma Showalter (2022-2023) will pursue her PhD in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management at Purdue University.
Hannah Kim (summer 2024 research student) will purdue her PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Purdue University.
Ziqi Yao (2021-2025) will pursue her PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at George Mason University.
Raechel Johnson (2022-2025) will pursue her law school at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.
Wen Yin (2023-2025) will pursue her PhD in Social Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Hannah Myers (2022-2023) will pursue her Clinical PsyD at the University of Indianapolis.
Brandon Krivsky (2023-2024) will pursue his PhD in Management at the University of Arkansas.Elias Knable (2023-2024) will pursue his doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at Purdue University Northwest.
Melinda Michalski (2022-2024) will pursue her master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Marymount University.
Christina Kelley (2020-2023) pursued her master’s in Boston College’s Social Work program with the intention of becoming a therapist afterward.
Emma Showalter (2022-2023) joined the workforce as an Employee Experience Associate for a financial services and solutions company.
Sami Lapka (Lab Manager 2020-2022) pursued her PhD in Social Psychology at Ohio State University as a Dean’s Distinguished University Fellow.
Brianna Foreman (2020-2022) joined the workforce as an HR Assistant for a business technology company.
Katelin Bauer (2020-2022) pursued her master's in Psychology, specializing in Cognition, Learning, and Neuroscience at American University.
Paige Loessy (2021-2022) pursued her master’s in Human Resource Management at Purdue’s Krannert School of Business.
Ash (Chenzhang) Xu (2018-2019) studied at the University of Minnesota, Master of Arts in Human Resources & Industrial Relations.
Darrien Lindsay (2018-2019) studied at Cornell University, Master of Industrial and Labor Relations.