Undergraduates

Honour Students

Isabel Ng Yek En

Hello! I’m Isabel, a BA (Hons) Psych international student from Malaysia. Coming from the other side of the world, I’m passionate about exploring intercultural differences and motivations that guide people’s actions. I’m excited to delve into these topics and more in the IC Lab!

Anny Kwon

Hello! My name is Anny Kwon. I am currently a fifth year psychology student in the Honors program. I moved to Canada when I was 10 years old and have grown up in Edmonton since. I have always been interested in social and cultural psychology; specifically conflict in ethnic identity (in my case Korean vs. Canadian) as well as other G1.5 immigrants’ experiences living in a foreign country. I am excited to learn and explore more about these topics, and getting involved in the research field in general through the IC Lab.

Mia Leedell

Hi, I’m Mia, and I am a fourth-year honours psychology student in the IC lab. I have been working here since January 2024, and although I have had the fortune to fill a few roles during my residency at the lab, my work has continually centred on self-determination theory and psychological well-being in foreign-language learners. Outside of my research and coursework, I can be found climbing, swimming, hiking, skiing, knitting, and/or reading.

Independent Study Students

Japnoor Khehra

Hello, my name is Japnoor, and I am entering my fourth year of a Bachelor of Science
degree with a specialization in Psychology. My interest in joining the Intercultural
Communications Lab was inspired by taking Dr. Noels’ course, which deepened my
understanding of intercultural communication. I am eager to gain hands-on research
experience and further explore the field of psychology, specifically how cultural contexts
impact communication and identity. Under the guidance of Dr. Noels, I hope to investigate
how rising levels of both online and in-person hostility has affected the Canadian identity
of individuals within the South Asian community.

Amira Stewart

Hey! My name is Amira and I’m a fourth year psychology major and philosophy minor. This is my second semester as an independent study student in this lab and I’m happy to be back! I’m interested in intercultural communication and how it shapes both individual identity and group dynamics. In the spring I worked on a study about the stressors Black Canadian students face. And this fall I will be collecting data on the experience of International students. This summer I fostered a love for golf and also studied abroad in Ireland! Outside of academics I am a big sister, a lifeguard/swim instructor, a server, and a swim coach with Special Olympics. There is so much to learn in the IC Lab and I am excited to be a part of it this year!

Jana Sleiman

Hi, my name is Jana, and I’m a third-year psychology major! It’s my second year working in the lab, and I’ll be helping the lab expand its research with immigrant students. I’m looking forward to learning and developing my research skills. My interests outside of school surround video games and reading!

Keqing Shi

Hello!！My name is Keqing Shi. I am a junior (BS) psychology student and I am doing my own independent research in IC lab!! This is my first year in IC lab. I am very interested in different cultures and I love learning different languages. I am looking forward to my research life in IC lab!! Besides that, I like to travel in my free time and go trail with my dog.

Maki Muthu

Heyo! My name is Maki and I’m a Psychology major in the Faculty of Arts. I am currently interested in looking into the motivations for learning other languages and understanding the experiences that people with multicultural backgrounds face. In my free time, I like collecting random things like vinyls or enamel pins and hanging out with my cat Mocha.

Glory Okebugwu

Hello! My name is Glory Okebugwu, and I’m a third year student in the Faculty of Arts, majoring in Psychology. I’m especially interested in exploring intercultural differences—particularly how youth from immigrant backgrounds navigate acculturation. I’m fascinated by how the process of adapting to a new culture while maintaining aspects of one’s original culture shapes personality and social interactions. I’m excited to dive deeper into this area through both research and lived experience.

Volunteers

Angela Tan

 I’m Angela, a second year Sciences student majoring in Psychology. As a child of Chinese immigrants, I’m greatly interested in the acculturation of immigrants living in Alberta. I really look forward to exploring this topic further throughout my first year with the IC Lab as an independent study student. Outside of the lab, I enjoy figure skating, crocheting, and baking.

Manpreet Dhonkal

Hi! I’m Manpreet and I recently graduated with a BSc in Psychology. I was an independent studies student in the IC Lab and am now volunteering. I worked on a scoping review with other lab members about well-being in the context of language learning, which aligned well with my goal to pursue a career in counselling psychology. I’m interested in learning more about how cultural and linguistic factors shape our personal experiences and relationships. In my free time, I love to bake and crochet!

Akila Edirisinghe

My name is Akila(he/him). I am a fourth year student studying psychology and computing science. This is my first time being part of the Intercultural Communication lab and I am really excited to learn more about acculturation specifically how conformity to the dominant culture impacts communication within one’s original cultural contexts. Outside of school, I like to play volleyball , break dance and climb a lot. Feel free to ask or join me in my hobbies or topics of interest!

Shahzad Moin

Hey, I’m Shahzad and I’m a 4th year BA Psych undergraduate student. I’m an independent study student here at the IC Lab. My research interests are regarding the examination of experiences of multicultural individuals, along with learning about the motivations behind second-language learning and how that could help inform educators. Aside from that, I love solving puzzles and problems (I’d love to be asked a riddle), playing basketball, video games, chess, and the guitar.

Cleo Mo

Hi, I’m Cleo from China. I’m currently an undergraduate student in Art Psychology, and this is my first year with ICLab as an independent study student. My research interests include intercultural communication, language learning motivation, and identity development in Chinese immigrants. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to discuss these topics or just want to have a conversation!

Shuier Wei

Hello! I’m Shuier, a fourth year student specialising in Psychology. This is my first year in the IC Lab as an independent study student. I’m really excited to learn more about psychology research, especially for the part of second-language acquisition. For leisure time, I listen to musicals/rock operas, and I play TRPG games.

An Luo

Hi there! I am An, a second-year psychology student volunteering in the Intercultural Communication Lab. As a Chinese international student in Canada and someone who enjoys solo travel, I am eager to explore diverse perspectives. These experiences prompt me to reflect on how groups, societies, and cultures influence individuals’ perspectives on life and their decision-making. I enjoy exploring these questions while helping with the Chinese Longitudinal Study. In my free time, I like hiking, playing badminton, and watching movies.

Yunjiao Zhu

Hello everyone, my name is Yunjiao Zhu. I am a third-year undergraduate psychology student. I’m a volunteer currently at the IC lab. I immigrated to Calgary with my family six years ago. I enjoy studying different cultures and making friends with people from all over the world. In my daily life, I like playing the piano and reading.