Current courses
Dr. Cheryl Kier
Dr. Cheryl Kier
Associate Professor
Contact information
Email: cherylk@athabascau.ca
Phone:
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 (assistant professor) at the University of East London in the U.K. I then taught for several years as a sessional instructor at Mount Royal College (now University) before becoming a full-time member of the Psychology Centre (now the Centre for Social Sciences) at Athabasca University in June, 2006.
As a developmental psychologist, my research has focused on interpersonal relationships, particularly families after divorce and in other non-nuclear family structures. I have also dabbled in the areas of accidental plagiarism and academic integrity, as well as social capital and happiness. Other research includes music preferences, civic activism, and financial saving behaviour. Currently I am involved in studies on university student success and perceptions of academic integrity. I am working on a book manuscript about children from diverse families. When/if I have the opportunity, I would like to investigate racism, discrimination, and human rights issues.
Research interests
- Child development in diverse families
- University student success
- Accidental plagiarism and academic integrity
Educational credentials
- B.A. (great distinction) McGill University
- M.Sc. University of Calgary
- PhD. University of Reading (U.K.)
Professional affiliations
- The International Association for Relationship Research (IARR)
- American Psychological Association (APA)
- Association for Research in Personality (ARP)