Madison LaBella
Doctoral Candidate
Drexel University
msm448@drexel.edu
6109526928
Related Research Interests
Hello, I’m Madison (Miller) LaBella. I am passionate about issues involving workplace loneliness and belonging, diversity, and psychological needs.
From as soon as I could speak, I’ve always felt called to make sure that people feel included and that they belong. We all have a deep need for connection and meaning in our lives, and connections with people are one key source of meaning. Before starting my PhD journey, I worked in consulting (communications consulting for large companies and then transitioned to research consulting for nonprofits focused on community development), and I managed the Criminal Justice Research Center at Penn State Abington. Through that experience, I studied issues of stigma around opioid use disorder. It struck me how much loneliness, trauma, and relationship issues affect our well-being – yet how powerful work can be in experiencing belongingness and purpose in our lives; many people I met discussed meaningful work as a key driver or motivator of continued sobriety. Long story short, this inspires me! When workplaces can provide belongingness and meaning, people can thrive. As a fourth-year PhD candidate, I am still building my portfolio, but I have interesting projects in the pipeline and some under review around understanding workplace loneliness (drivers, outcomes, various theories and levels of analysis, etc.). I look forward to connecting and learning from you and with you!
