Dr. Kelly Liao joined Cleveland State University in the fall of 2016 as an assistant professor in the Department of Counseling, Administration, Supervision and Adult Learning. She is a core faculty member in the Counseling Psychology specialization of CSU’s Ph.D. program in Urban Education. 

Liao studies minority-related stress, which can be caused by discrimination or stigma, among ethnic and LGBTQ individuals. She assesses how positive psychology, such as teaching self-compassion and gratitude, can reduce this stress and improve healthy living. Her current projects include exploring the mental health consequences of the Strong Black Women stereotype, developing a self-compassion writing intervention to cope with racism among African American students, examining the psychological benefits of gratitude among Chinese international students, and investigating the role of perceived burden in the health outcomes of Chinese cancer survivors. 

Liao received her Ph.D. in 2011 in counseling psychology from Iowa State University after completing an internship at the University of Missouri-Columbia Student Counseling Center. Prior to joining CSU, she was a research scientist at the Culture and Health Research Center at the University of Houston.