Don C. Zhang, PhD
Principal Investigator
Don Zhang is Associate Professor of Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Louisiana State University and director of the Risk and Decision Making Lab. Don studies decision making, employee selection, and risk taking. He is interested in how people differ in their risk preferences and how these differences impact their work and life. He has received over $2.9 million in federal funding, including the National Science Foundation CAREER Award. He received the LSU Rainmaker Award for Early Career Faculty in 2024. He is Associate Editor for Applied Psychology: An International Review and serves on multiple editorial boards. His work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and covered by The Guardian, Wall Street Journal, and New York Magazine.
Graduate Students
Tyler Cowley
Ph.D. Student (Fifth Year)
Brigham Young University graduate studying loss aversion/risk-taking at work, mental health in work/burnout, and employment interviews.
Katelyn Reeves
Ph.D. Student (Third Year)
California State University - Fresno graduate researching employee interviews, selection tests, work-life balance, and mental health at work.
Niloufar (Nilou) Dodangeh
Ph.D. Student (First Year)
Researching employee selection, job interviews, personality, well-being, leadership, harassment, and psychometrics.
Lab Staff
Gabrielle Mellor
Lab Manager
Undergraduate Research Assistants
David Cannon
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Madison Nguyen
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Abby Martin
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Maya Guillory
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Lab Mascot
Agnes
Agnes is the lab mascot of the RANDM Lab. She is a super mutt with a blend of beagle, basset hound, and a dozen other breeds. Her research interests include the ecosystem of Don's backyard, the location of her treats, and the durability of chew toys. In her testing, most toys withstand between 5 and 15 minutes of vigorous chewing. Her favorite pastimes are napping, chomping, and burrowing.
Alumni
Graduate Alumni
- John-Luke McCord, Ph.D. (2016 – 2022) – Associate Consultant at Xecutive Metrix
- Gino Howard, Ph.D. (2020 - 2023) – Assistant Professor, UC San Bernardino
Undergraduate Alumni
- Sarah Graff, B.A. (2017 – 2018) – Masters student at I/O Psychology at Middle Tennessee State University, Now HR Specialist at Ochsner Health
- Paige Resnick, B.A. (2017 – 2018) – Masters student in I/O Psychology at University of Texas Arlington, Now HR Program Manager at Hilltop Holdings
- Sidney Thomas, B.A. (2017 – 2019) – PhD student in I/O Psychology at Louisiana Tech University, Now at AllState
- Gabi Danna, B.A. (2017 – 2019) – PhD student in I/O Psychology at University at Albany, SUNY, Now at Google
- Elizabeth Joseph, B.A. (2018 – 2019) – PhD student in Experimental Psychology at Texas Christian University
- Kevin Sullivan, B.A. (2019) – PhD student in I/O Psychology at Louisiana Tech University
- Olivia Kjellsten, B.A. (2019-2020) – Masters student in I/O Psychology at Vrije University, now Deloitte
- Gaurangi Das, B.A. (2018-2021) – PhD student in I/O Psychology at Bowling Green State University
- Brynne Babin, B.A. (2020-2021) – Masters student in Social Work at Louisiana State University
- Coulette Mouton, B.A. (2022-2024)
- Maria Gordon, B.A. (2023-2024)