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Leadership and Innovation Lab

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People

Lab Director

Dr. Sam Hunter – Associate Professor of Psychology

Dr. Hunter is an Associate Professor of Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Penn State University. His work centers on Leadership and Innovation Management. He received his Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of Oklahoma in 2007. Dr. Hunter teaches courses in organizational behavior, leadership, innovation and helps manage the practicum course in the I/O area. Outside of the lab, Sam spends time with his amazing wife, Dr. Melissa Hunter, daughter Celia, and dog Chase. He is also a big fan of Detroit Tiger baseball!

He also likes to spend time on Twitter.

Staff

Rachel Heinen M.S. – Lab Coordinator

Rachel grew up in Lake Summerset, Illinois, and obtained a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Business Administration from Creighton University in Omaha, NE. Rachel’s primary interests center on creativity, with a focus on creative climate and the creative process.

Graduate Students

Brett Neely, M.S.

Brett’s research interests reside primarily in leadership (in particular looking at how the psychological characteristics of executives relate to firm outcomes), diversity, and innovation. His work has been published in the Academy of Management Journal, Leadership Quarterly, and the Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior.

Jackie Marhefka, M.S.

Jackie graduated from Stonehill College in Massachusetts with a B.A. in Psychology and Criminology and is currently a student in the Industrial-Organizational Psychology program at Penn State. Her primary research interests revolve around teams, with a focus on cognition and the role of time. In her free time, she enjoys reading fiction novels and grabbing a bite to eat with friends.

Julian Allen, M.S.

Julian B. Allen, M.S., is currently a doctoral student at the Pennsylvania State University, studying the impact of leadership on individual, team, and organizational creativity. In the past two years, he has contributed several chapters on the direct and indirect impact of leadership on creativity, as well as research articles on a multiple pathway approach to leadership. Julian received his B.S. in Social Psychology with a minor in Business Administration from Saint Mary’s College of California.

Kristen Swigart M.A.

Kristen Swigart is a 4th year PhD student in the IO Psychology program at Penn State. Kristen’s research interests focus on leadership development, identity, and diversity – focusing primarily on gender and political ideology. Within the LIL Lab, Kristen is specifically studying responses to leader errors. Kristen earned her bachelor’s degree from Penn State University and is also an alumnus of the LIL lab during that tenure. Prior to returning to Penn State to work toward her Ph.D., Kristen earned her M.A. in I/O Psychology from George Mason University and gained experience in both public- and private-sector consulting – focusing specifically on leadership assessment.

Vanessa Burke

Hometown: Dayton, Ohio

Undergrad: Bowling Green State University

Future plans: I intend to go academic and create a stream of research investigating gender, prosocial/antisocial behaviors, and social judgments

Kayla Walters M.A.

Kayla completed her B.A. in Psychology at the University of Michigan, then returned to her hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, for an M.A. in I-O Psychology at Xavier University. Kayla’s research interests are centered on leadership, particularly the dynamics of leader dyads. In her free time, she enjoys working out, drinking coffee, and watching documentaries.

Tin Nguyen 

Tin Nguyen is a doctoral student in Penn State’s I/O Psychology program, studying biases and social dynamics that affect organizational creativity. A focal point of Tin’s current research involves how people perceive creativity and respond to the rejection of their creative ideas. Prior to Penn State, Tin earned his bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Exercise Science from Creighton University and analyzed employee engagement data for a tech startup in Omaha, NE. In his free time, he enjoys running, making visual art, and having drinks with friends.

Undergraduates

Luke Kyga

Amber Kovacik

Brianne DeGore

Kelly Coleman

Christen Brova

Zack Swetz

Abby Luke

Taylor Buchness