Hayley Liebenow is currently a Post-Doctoral Researcher in Psychology at the University of Toronto, where she works under the mentorship of Dr. Nick Rule. Hayley completed her M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology with a minor in Data Analytics at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2024, under the mentorship of Dr. Brittany Cassidy. She also holds a B.A. in Psychology from Wellesley College (go Blue!).

Hayley conducts research on how people perceive others, particularly how these perceptions develop into stereotypes and result in prejudice towards marginalized groups in the workplace. Her work focuses especially on nonverbal person perception, trait inferences, and how social categories (gender, race, etc.) shape how we evaluate others. Much of her research examines how subtle facial cues and social group memberships jointly influence judgments for leadership evaluation, workplace outcomes, and broader social interactions.

Hayley’s work has been published in top journals including Journal of Experimental Social Psychology and Psychology of Women Quarterly. In 2024, her research was cited in The New York Times in an article examining gender bias towards Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. She has received awards for her contributions to diversity and inclusion in academia, including the 2023 Lula Martin McIver Inclusiveness Award.

Hayley has taught at the University of Toronto, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Guilford College across a range of courses, including Introduction to Psychology, Social Psychology, Psychology of Gender, and Statistics & Research Methods. She has also served as a mentor for several undergraduate thesis projects, which can be read about in more depth in her CV.