In the meantime, here is advice I would offer if we did meet in person:

Think of the PhD “personal statement” as a persuasive essay that makes a clear case for:

1. Your research puzzle: What specific question or problem do you aim to explore in graduate school, and why does it matter?
2. Your preparation: How have your academic, research, or professional experiences equipped you to tackle this puzzle?
3. The fit: Why is my lab, or the psychology department at SFU, the ideal place for your research?

Regarding this last point: While I hope my students will engage with the questions I’ve been exploring, I also value collaboration with other labs in the department. Therefore, I encourage you to consider including a secondary mentor in your application: someone with complementary skills or research interests. Even if a faculty member’s profile indicates they aren’t accepting students this cycle, they might still be open to serving as a secondary mentor.

Best of luck with your application process!

For more information, read about our research here!

I’m in this field because I’m passionate about understanding people—strengths, quirks, complexities and all—and bringing them together. What excites me most about the lab’s work is how different individuals come together united by a common goal to solve meaningful problems. I like discovering each student’s unique qualities, and facilitating their exploration of—and progress toward—paths that align with who they want to be. Bringing people together is a joy!

If this lab were a sports anime, we would be that dynamic, diverse team where everyone’s skills complement each other. :)

As reality: continuously learning to be more effective.

For the lab, my values are to create a collaborative, intellectually stimulating environment where students can feel supported in: exploring interesting ideas or connections, examining questions that matter to them with rigorous methods, and pushing the frontiers of scientific methods.

I’m approachable and believe open communication is key, and will schedule regular meetings (e.g., weekly) and encourage constructive feedback (e.g., compliment sandwiches) in both directions.

My expectations for myself and mentees include research excellence and work–life balance, because my goal is to help people develop both personally and professionally.

You can expect me to ask hard questions but also to celebrate milestones big and small. :)

A longer and more explicit version of this answer can be found in our lab manual–just let me know if you’d like to see a copy!

If you only know me through a large lecture course that was not seminar-based or centered around a student-led research project, and we haven’t had much (or any) interaction outside of class, then unfortunately I won’t be able to write you a strong reference letter. In a class of 100+ students, I don’t have enough information about your strengths, communication style, interests, or work habits to write more than a very general letter (e.g., “this student took my class and got an A”).
Reference letters carry the most weight when they provide specific, personal insights, so I don’t recommend asking me in these circumstances—I don’t want to disadvantage you with a weaker letter. Instead, I’d encourage you to seek out someone who knows you well through smaller classes or research settings because they’ll be able to speak to your abilities in a much more compelling way.

If you’re interested in receiving a strong reference from me in the future, please consider joining my lab as a research assistant or taking a project-based (e.g., Directed Studies; Research Engagement) course with me.