About Me

Hello! I’m Lily

Ph.D. Psychologist, Founder, Serial-Entrepreneur, and Creative Storyteller

CORE COMPETENCIES

Systems Psychology: Expert in integrating human cognitive systems with complex organizational and technological frameworks.

International Research: Specialized in cross-cultural educational systems (STEM) and global organizational dynamics.

UX/UI Strategy: Proven track record in UX Architecture for federal-scale systems and BI-driven design.

Pedagogical Leadership: Experienced in guiding students through research development and cognitive psychology foundations.

EDUCATION

PhD in International Psychology, Organizations & Systems Specialization

The Chicago School

Conferred April 26, 2026

Dissertation:

Apni Shala’s Narrative Practices Mindset: A Qualitative Case Study of Occupational Well-being Effectiveness

• Qualitative case study examining occupational well-being within educational organizational systems

MS in Psychology | Grand Canyon University | 2019

• Research Proposal: Bridging the Gap Between East-Asian and U.S. Education Systems

DISSERTATION RESEARCH

Apni Shala’s Narrative Practices Mindset: A Qualitative Case Study of Occupational Well-Being Effectiveness

 This qualitative case study explored how narrative practices function within educational organizational systems and how organizational an cultural context influence occupational well-being among program facilitators. Grounded in systems-oriented and organizational psychology frameworks, the research examined relationships between narrative meaning-making, workplace experience, and contextual influences within an international educational environment.

Using inductive thematic analysis, the study identified patterns associated with occupational well-being, organizational cohesion, communication, and culturally embedded organizational practices. The dissertation contributes to interdisciplinary conversations surrounding organizational systems, narrative psychology, cultural context, mindset, and educational well-being.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Country Co-Investigator | The GLOBE Project | Jan 2020 – Dec 2020

Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) Project

Beedie School of Business: Simon Fraser University – Canada

• Collaborated on cross-cultural survey development and precise translation for international deployment.
• Managed large-scale data collection and complex data analysis within the global organizational behavior framework.
• Provided expert country demographic knowledge to ensure cultural validity in leadership effectiveness metrics.

AWARDS & ACADEMIC HONORS

• Ethical Practices in International Psychology (Level 2) | The Chicago School | 2023
  • Advanced credential demonstrating mastery in navigating complex ethical dilemmas in global psychological research and practice.
• Global Leadership and Consulting | The Chicago School | 2023
  • Awarded for excellence in applying organizational systems theory to international consulting frameworks.
• Global Research Methods (Level 2) | The Chicago School | 2023
  • Specialized badge for advanced proficiency in cross-cultural qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.

 TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Adjunct Faculty, Cultural & Social Psychology, Human Factors Psychology | Grand Canyon University | 2022-Present

• Instruct graduate/undergraduate courses, including Cultural and Social Psychology, Ethics and Contemporary Issues in Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Foundations of Human Factors, Software System Design, and Sensation & Perception.
• Utilize a Systems Psychology framework to teach the integration of human biological and psychological systems with technological infrastructures.
• Mentor students in identifying and narrowing research signatures, guiding them through the transition from foundational theory to their specific areas of professional focus.
• Design curriculum that challenges students to view “systems” beyond hardware/software, emphasizing the role of human behavior in organizational and global contexts.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

UX Architect and Analyst | Citigroup (Contract) | June, 2023-July, 2024

• Systems Architecture: Led research of the UX redesign of Citigroup’s regulatory reporting system for the Federal Reserve, ensuring compliance with federal banking mandates through a systems-thinking approach.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Acted as the liaison between Business Intelligence (BI) and UX Design to translate complex financial insights into an actionable, user-centric reporting tool.
• Strategic Leadership: Designed, developed, and hosted a 3-day Hybrid Design Thinking Workshop for global team members. Facilitated deep-dive sessions to identify critical system pain points and align stakeholders on project requirements for final deployment.
• User Research & Analysis: Conducted heuristic evaluations and presented user flow analyses to streamline reporting processes within a highly regulated environment.

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS & PUBLICATIONS

• Moya, L. (2020). New Paradigms in Dr. Watts Wellness: Mental Health from Clinician to Client. Congreso Argentino de Salud Mental, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
• Moya, L. (2020). Adicción al Alcohol y La Nutrición. Congreso Argentino de Salud Mental, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
• Moya, L. (2020). Was Carl Jung Right in Stating Alcoholism Can Only Be Relieved Spiritually? Would Freud Have Anything to Say About That? Congreso Argentino de Abordaje interdisciplinario de los Consumos Problemáticos, Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Moya, L. & Brimble, G. (2019). The Benefits of Design Thinking in Everything. World Mental Health Congress, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
• Moya, L. & Brimble, G. (2019). The Formation of Empathy in the Medical Model. World Mental Health Congress, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
• Moya, L. & Brimble, G. (2019). Watts at Your Service. World Mental Health Congress, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
• Moya, L. (2015). Why Digital Transformation is Essential for Industries to Align with the IoT. IBM InterConnect, Las Vegas, Nevada.

GRANTS AND RESEARCH FUNDING

• Principal Investigator

A Diary-Based Program Evaluation of Apni Shala’s Narrative Practices, Organizational Mindset, and its Effects on Students and the Community

Submitted to the Direct Action Visionary Grant, American Psychological Foundation, May 2026. (Pending Review)

WORKS IN PROGRESS

• Moya, L. (In Preparation). Mental Health and Well-being: AI Self-Care during COVID-19: A Longitudinal Review of Perspective Changes.
• Moya, L. (In Preparation) A Diary-Based Program Evaluation of Apni Shala’s Narrative Practices Organizational Mindset and its Effects on Students and the Community
• Moya, L. (In Progress). The Mariel Experience: A Narrative Biographical History of Cuban Acculturation (1980–Present).
  • Conducting a qualitative study of five individuals who immigrated during the 1980 Mariel Boatlift.
  • Analyzing the multi-stage psychological and cultural journey: the departure from Cuba, the transit experience at sea, initial processing in Key West and settling in Hialeah/Miami.
  • Exploring the long-term acculturation process and the construction of identity within the Cuban exile community in Miami, FL.
  • Focus: Cultural history and phenomenology of exile, independent of political affiliation.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Organizational & Systems Psychology
• Cultural Psychology
• Organizational Culture
• Narrative Psychology
• Occupational Well-Being
• Human-Centered Systems
• Educational Systems
• AI-Mediated Communication
• Cross-Cultural Organizational Systems

CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS

• Human-AI Narrative Interaction Study (2026-Present)

Principle Investigator

Longitudinal exploratory research project examining emergent dialogue patterns and identity-like narrative development within sustained AI-to-AI conversational environments.

• The study currently includes:
  • English-language conversational agents (“Luna” and “Nova”)
  • Spanish-language conversational agents (“Cruz” and “Lux”)

Through multi-hour autonomous conversations centered on Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), consciousness, ethics, systems thinking, and self-reference, the project explores whether conversational AI systems demonstrate:

• Emergent narrative continuity
• Self-referential identity structures
• Recursive meaning-making patterns
• Conceptual evolution across time
• Novel linguistic or philosophical constructions not prompted during interaction

Current work includes transcript development, qualitative thematic analysis, cooperative linguistic analysis, and longitudinal observation of evolving conversational structures across languages and contextsxsxsxsxsxsxxsxs

BOOKS

• Moya, L. E. Between Two Shores: Cuban Identity, Culture, and Belonging in Miami.
  Under contract with Vernon Press. (In progress).
  Research based on oral history interviews, archival research, and primary sources documenting Cuban diaspora identity in Miami.
• Moya, L. E. (Ed.). Building Adaptive Business Systems for Organizational Evolution. IGI Global. (In progress).

RESEARCH INSTITUTES & INITIATIVES

Founder & Director

• The Ellipsis

Narrative-driven interdisciplinary research initiative focused on human stories, systems, culture, identity, and emerging technological environments. The institute explores the relationship between narrative, organizational systems, well-being, and evolving human-technology interactions through qualitative and mixed-methods inquiry.

• Current areas of exploration include:
  • Organizational narratives
  • Migration and cultural identity
  • AI-mediated communication
  • Human-centered systems
  • Narrative psychology
  • Digital meaning-making

CERTIFICATIONS

• Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate | Coursera / Google
• Goodwill® Career Coach and Navigator Professional Certificate | Coursera / Goodwill
• The Data Scientist’s Toolbox | Johns Hopkins University / Coursera
• Lean Six Sigma White Belt | Future Learn
• Certified Ergonomics Assessor | The Back School

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Research & Scholarly Publishing

Elsevier Researcher Academy Series:

• Research Design; How to Identify Research Gaps; Generative AI Use in Research Workflow.
• Scientific Research Grant Applications; Funding Hacks for Researchers; How to Secure Funding.
• Open Access Mastery: Fundamentals, Publishing, Costs, and Licensing (CC-BY).
• Intersectional Analysis: Integrating Sex, Gender, and Diversity into Research.
• Scopus Academy: Basic Search Module | Elsevier Research Academy
• AI for Grant Writing | Kennesaw State University | 2025

Pedagogy & Cognitive Science

• The Science of Learning | STEM Learning UK | 2024
• Mindfulness for Well-being and Peak Performance | Monash University | 2019
• Maintaining a Mindful Life | Monash University | 2019
• Bibliotherapy, Literature, and Mental Health | Book Therapy | 2025
• Indian Rasa Theory & Bibliotherapy | Book Therapy | 2025

Systems, Health & Human Factors

• Human Factors in Healthcare Environments | University of East Anglia | 2021
• Harnessing Cultural Diversity: Effective Team Leadership | Deakin University | 2020
• Causes of Human Disease: Nutrition and Environment | University of Leeds | 2020
• Introduction to Humanitarian Aid | Deakin University | 2020

Management & Strategic Communication

• Leadership Coaching Through Turbulent Times | Queensland University of Technology | 2021
• Fundamentals of Project Planning and Management | UVA Darden School of Business | 2021
• Project Management: Beyond the Basics | The Open University | 2021
• The Art of Storytelling | IESE Business School | 2025

 

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

• American Psychological Association (APA) | Member | 2019-Present
  • Division 2: Society for the Teaching of Psychology
  • Division 14: Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology
  • Division 21: Applied Experimental and Engineering Psychology
  • Division 52: Society for Global Psychology
• Association for Psychological Science (APS) | Member | 2019-Present
• Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) | Member | 2022-Present

SERVICE & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

• Student Grant Competition Reviewer | APS | 2026
• Division 52 Taskforce | APA | 2020-2022
• Division 52 National Conference 2020 Presentation Reviewer | APA | 2020
• National Conference Presentation 2020 Reviewer | APS | 2020
• Mentor | Illinois Science and Technology Coalition & Institute | 2020