Looking for a Post-Doc Researcher to start Fall 2025
Postdoctoral Research Associate Position: AI Agents, Well-Being, and Character Virtues
The Well-Being and Measurement Lab at Purdue University, directed by Dr. Louis Tay, invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate position. This position offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge interdisciplinary research at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) agents, well-being, and character virtues.
Job Summary
The postdoctoral scholar will play a key role in advancing research on AI conversational agents designed to enhance human flourishing through the cultivation of character virtues (e.g., patience, kindness, self-control, generosity). This position is part of an innovative project integrating insights from psychology, philosophy, and computer science to develop and empirically evaluate AI systems that support long-term well-being beyond short-term engagement or subjective happiness.
Key Responsibilities
The scholar will be expected to lead and contribute to the interdisciplinary team in conducting research on the effects of AI agents on well-being and character virtue outcomes. This includes engaging in projects such as conducting and analyzing focus group discussions, systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses, designing and implementing psychological experiments, and longitudinal data collection and analysis. The scholar is also expected to lead publications in top-tier journals and engage in interdisciplinary collaboration.
Qualifications
Ph.D. in Psychology or a related field in the social sciences
· Excellent communication, organizational, and time management skills
· Strong experience with data management and analysis
· Strong methodological expertise in qualitative and/or quantitative research
· Substantive expertise in one or more of the following: AI agents and human-AI interaction, well-being, and character virtues
· Demonstrated ability to multitask, meet deadlines, and work both independently and collaboratively
· Strong publication record or evidence of potential to publish in high-impact venues
Additional Information
Position details: Full-time (40 hours per week), initial appointment for one year with potential for renewal based on funding and performance. The start date will be Fall 2025.
Mentorship and career development: Dr. Tay is a dedicated mentor who has successfully guided postdocs and graduate students into tenure-track positions in psychology and related fields.
Lab and research environment: The Well-Being and Measurement Lab fosters a positive and interdisciplinary research culture, collaborating with scholars across psychology, philosophy, and computer science. More details can be found at www.wam-lab.com.
Application process: Review of applications begins immediately. Applicants should submit a cover letter, CV, names of 3 references, and a writing sample (e.g., published paper or dissertation chapter) to stay@purdue.edu to be considered.
Purdue University is an EOE/AA employer. All individuals, including minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and veterans, are encouraged to apply.
‘Undergraduate Research Experience
We welcome motivated undergraduate students who are interested in industrial-organizational psychology research — or psychological research more broadly — to apply to our lab.
Research projects have included data science type projects (e.g., annotation of video interview data for building machine learning algorithms; annotation of social media data), well-being projects (e.g., systematic reviews of physical health and psychological health), and measurement (e.g., creation of new psychological scales and measures).
Over the years, we have had more than 30 undergraduate students participate in various research projects in our lab. Many of our undergraduate lab alumni have gone on to pursue graduate work in industrial-organizational psychology or related areas (e.g., clinical psychology, social psychology) or fields (e.g., human resource management).
If you are interested in obtaining research experience, please email Dr. Tay with your CV, an outline of your research interests, and the type of experience you hope to gain. We prefer to have students join us for a minimum commitment of 2 semesters of 8-10 hours per week. Our laboratory is open during the summer as well. You can sign up as a PSY 390: Research Experience in Psychology or PSY 498: Senior Research.
Prospective Graduate Students
The Purdue Industrial-Organizational (I-O) Psychology program is one of the oldest programs in the world. We have an amazing reputation and enjoy strong support from our storied alumni. The I-O faculty are research active, collegial, inclusive, and student-centered. We strive toward an environment that helps students achieve their full potential and provide them substantial resources to do so. More info on our program can be found here.
I am passionate about mentoring students. I work closely with students to develop their interests and expertise within the broad topics of well-being, methodology, and data science. We have a lab culture that is collaborative, positive, and fun! Students are exposed to multiple disciplines and perspectives, and I believe that I-O psychologists should contribute to our world more generally, ranging from science to policy. My goal is to guide students toward independence, training them to pursue their ideas as tenure-track academics when they graduate. Graduate students will have deep knowledge of relevant theory and methodology, have a strong publication record, and make a positive academic and societal impact.
I am most keen on admitting students pursuing research/academia. The selection process to the Purdue I-O program is very competitive and our selection ratios tend to be low (i.e., less than 5 percent). Prior research experience and methodological training are valued. Students who have working experience and/or a master’s degree in associated fields will also be considered favorably.
Please contact me if you are interested in learning more about our research or the I-O program at Purdue.