Grad Students

Alison Hunt, MS

alihunt@pdx.edu

Originally a native Floridian, I truly fell in love with the PNW after a hiking trip in the Olympic National Forest and it was goodbye palm trees and beaches for me! I am a third year in the Applied Psychology PhD program at Portland State with a concentration in Industrial Organizational (IO) Psychology, working with Liu-Qin Yang. I graduated in 2017 Magna Cum Laude with my B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Criminology from the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa, FL. I have a background in Clinical Psychology from working at an inpatient mental health crisis center for three years conducting biopsychosocial assessments with patients experiencing psychological distress. At this time, I was also a post-baccalaureate research assistant in a Social Psychology lab at USF, conducting research on interpersonal romantic relationships. My current research interests include examining mistreatment, deviance and emotions in particularly high stress work environments with regard to specific occupational health factors such as sleep and fatigue risk. I also have special interest in healthcare and blue-collar worker populations. When I am outside the classroom you may find me hiking the trails with my Dachshund named Bettie or perusing vintage markets, record stores and antique malls.

Laura Yang, MA

layang@pdx.edu

I grew up in New Jersey, mostly behind the counter of my parents’ Chinese takeout restaurant and ~25 minutes away from NYC! I am a third-year doctoral student in the Applied I-O Psychology doctoral program at Portland State University, with an emphasis in Occupational Health Psychology. I graduated Cum Laude from Arcadia University in 2018 with a B.A. in Psychology and received my M.A. in I-O Psychology from Montclair State University in 2021. My research interests include employee health and well-being, recovery from work, and moods/emotions and emotional labor of workers in the workplace. I also have a special interest in Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) workers and second-generation immigrant workers. After graduating, I plan to pursue a career in academia. In my free time (if I find any), I can usually be found at local markets, cooking, baking, spending time with friends (and their pets), and traveling/exploring.

Sam Allen

sall2@pdx.edu

I grew up in the California Bay Area, and originally came to Portland in pursuit of a career as a ballet dancer. After experiencing the ups and downs of the gig life, I retired from the stage and enrolled in college classes at Portland Community College as a way to find my life’s next great passion. Once I transferred to Portland State University, I discovered the field of IO Psychology and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2023 with a B.S. in Psychology. My research broadly includes topics of diversity, inclusion, and occupational health psychology, with an interest in researching ways that work can create opportunity and promote improved health for populations that are traditionally underrepresented and underserved. When I’m not working or studying, I enjoy frequenting Portland’s farmers’ markets, cooking delicious, seasonal food, and weightlifting at the gym.

Mingchao Dong

mingdong@pdx.edu

I am from Qingdao, a beautiful coastal city in Shandong Province, China. I received my B.A. in Applied Psychology from the University of Jinan and my M.A. in Applied Psychology from Renmin University of China. My current research interests focus on employee well-being and intervention strategies to promote healthier workplaces. In my free time, I enjoy playing basketball and table tennis, as well as watching movies.

Nick Zike

nzike@pdx.edu

Hello! My name is Nick and I joined Portland State University's I/O Applied Psychology program in 2019 working under Dr. Liu-Qin Yang. I am a Portland local and received my psychology degree from Oregon State University. Work is a huge part of most people's lives, and my long-term goals are to inform workplace practices to promote healthier and happier employees. My specific research interests include employee motivation and affective shifts, workplace fairness, mistreatment, and safety. In my free time, I love soccer (playing and watching), hiking, and traveling.

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