Steven Zhou

Education: PhD in Organizational Psychology; Graduate Certificate in Computational Social Sciences

Mentorship Commitment Preference: Online only (e.g., if you live out of state)

Industry: Higher Education

Areas Steven is interested in mentoring:

Resume Review
Career Planning
Networking Strategies
Leadership Growth
Graduate School Advice

Bio: Steven Zhou earned his Ph.D. in Industrial & Organizational Psychology from George Mason University and is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Claremont McKenna College. His primary areas of research include leadership, personality, psychometrics and quantitative methods (including the application of LLMs and machine learning algorithms), careers and calling, and the academic-practitioner gap. Dr. Zhou has published 20+ peer-reviewed articles, brought in almost $40k in external research funding as a graduate student, taught almost a dozen course sections at both undergraduate and graduate levels in both psychology and business, and has several years of full-time corporate experience in HR, data analytics, and leadership development.

How did you get your first job? Applications online

If you were starting your career today, what is the one piece of advice you would give yourself? Networking matters

In what ways has your career path been unique or unconventional? I tried many paths: nonprofit management, HR, data analytics, teaching track in higher ed, higher ed administration, and now tenure track in higher ed.

What career paths have you explored or transitioned between? Throughout my career, I have transitioned across several interconnected fields, beginning in the military and advancing into law enforcement, emergency management, and school security. My experience includes serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, leadership roles in policing, and deployment to New Orleans to assist the Mayor during Hurricane Katrina. I have also specialized in mediation and dispute resolution, applying those skills to promote effective communication and problem-solving in complex environments. Today, I continue to contribute to public safety as an expert witness in law enforcement, use of force, and school security matters.

Steven is open to participating in informational interviews