Gender Issues Research Lab (GIRL)
Ho Kwan Cheung, Ph.D.
Principle Investigator
Ho Kwan Cheung, Ph.D.
Dr. Ho Kwan Cheung is an assistant professor at University of Calgary. She is originally from Hong Kong, but lived most of her life in the Northeast of the U.S. before moving to Canada in 2022. She received her Bachelor's Degrees in Psychology and Spanish from Penn State University (2014), and her Master (2016) and Ph.D. degrees (2018) in Industrial- Organizational Psychology from George Mason University. Her research focuses on understanding experiences of women in the workplace, particularly as they intersect with the work-family interface. She was recognized as an early career fellow at the Work and Family Researchers Network (WFRN) and her work has been supported by the Society of Psychological Studies in Social Issues. Outside of the lab, Ho Kwan enjoys baking in small batch, finding new hole-in-the-wall restaurants, hiking to see breathtaking views, and taking photos of her beloved bird.
Lab Personnel
Joel Hernandez, M.S.
Joel Hernandez was born and raised in Queens, New York, where he lived all his life after his parents immigrated from the Dominican Republic. He graduated from CUNY Queens College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in both Psychology and Economics. He then went on to earn his Masters in I-O Psychology from CUNY Baruch College. Outside of work, he enjoys talking and discussing sports either in person or online while participating in numerous fantasy sports leagues. His other interests include video games and watching sitcoms. In terms of research, he is interested in work-family interface, specifically perceived injustice of work-family policies and emotional labor faced by working mothers. Joel is a 4th year Ph.D. student at the University at Albany.
Bhindai (Katie) Mahabir
Katie Mahabir is a 4th year Ph.D. student in the Industrial and Organizational Program here at the University at Albany. Originally from New York City, Katie attended Baruch College and has received her Bachelor in Quantitative Psychology (a dual major in Mathematics and Psychology). Katie has two cats, Oreo and Pucci, that are quite the character and keep her entertained. In her spare time, she likes to go for long walks, explore and dine in new restaurants which taking pictures of aesthetically pleasing food. Her research interest includes mental health issues in the workplace and how training can be designed to support more inclusive populations. Additionally, she has recently developed an interest in how expecting mothers that face a pregnancy loss emotionally regulate in the workplace.
Lab Affiliates
Rico Brooks, M.S.
Rico is a 5th year Ph.D. student working with Dr. Kevin Williams at UAlbany. Prior to joining the program, he earned his M.S. in Industrial Organizational Psychology from Missouri State University and spent several years working with organizations on organizational development interventions. While at MSU, Rico worked as a graduate assistant for the Education Advising office where he coordinated a student academic assistance program. Additionally, he worked alongside Dr. Donald Fischer developing implicit association tests for measuring emotional intelligence. His primary research interests include the impact of financial strain on self-regulatory processes, executive functioning, and affect.
Gabrielle Danna
Gabi is currently a 4th year Ph. D. student in Industrial-Organizational Psychology program. Prior to studying at the University at Albany, she received her B.S. in Psychology at Louisiana State University. Her research interests include employee learning and development, self-regulatory processes, and quality of work-relationships in the remote work venues. Outside of school and research, Gabi enjoys dancing, practicing yoga, biking around Albany and surrounding areas, baking, and drinking coffee.
Wei Yang Sim
Wei Yang is a 3rd year Ph.D student in I/O Psychology. Wei Yang graduated with a B.A (Hons) in Psychology from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. His research interests include cognitive processes that influence fairness perceptions at the workplace, appraisal models of stress and their potential spillover effects onto domains beyond work. Pathologically addicted to ice cream and youtube.
Butter
Butter is a 1.5-year old half moon conure. Born in Western Massachusetts, he spent over a year in upstate New York before relocating to Western Canada. His primary research interests include effects of squawks on Ho Kwan's allotment of attention to him and semantics of human-influenced bird speech, though it is gradually expanding to workplace diversity and discrimination issues. In his free time, he enjoys tasting Ho Kwan's baked goods, destroying anything and everything he can see that is bitable, and making cameo appearances at Ho Kwan's Zoom classes and meetings.
Pierre
Pierre is a 24-year old golden capped conure. Born in North Carolina, he moved to Pittsburgh, PA at 3-years old. His primary research interests include effects of naps on performance and importance of solitude in one's well-being, though he also has a secondary interest in experience of working mothers (see Ho Kwan's dissertation). Throughout his career, he has travelled extensively throughout the country (from Niagara Falls to Glacier National Park). In his free time, he enjoys tasting Ho Kwan's baked goods, contemplating the meaning of life (and all scholarly pursuits), and cuddling with his favorite humans.
