Cheryl Kier

Biography

I started working as an individualized study tutor with Athabasca University in 1999 and instantly fell in love with it. Interacting one-on-one with students has been very rewarding. I received my B.A. degree at McGill University. Then I moved on to Calgary, where my M.Sc. degree was obtained from the University of Calgary. My PhD. was awarded from Reading University in the U.K. All three degrees were in psychology. Before coming back to Calgary I worked as a lecturer at the University of East London in the U.K. I then taught for several years as a sessional instructor at Mount Royal College before becoming a full-time member of the Psychology Centre at Athabasca University in June, 2006.

Research Interest

As a developmental psychologist, my research has focused on interpersonal relationships, particularly families after divorce. Currently I am involved in studies on adolescents, with a focus on parent-child relationships. My other main research interest is learning styles and creating course materials that relate to these. Other research includes social capital and happiness, music preferences, civic activism, and financial saving behaviour. When I have the opportunity, I would like to investigate racism, discrimination, and human rights issues.