Meet Us
Kelly Haer
Dr. Kelly Maxwell Haer is the Executive Director of the Boone Center for the Family and oversees the Relationship IQ program. She loves helping young adults form healthy relationships through researching, developing, and implementing materials that make the intersection of psychological science and theology relevant to daily life. She enjoys creating space for young adults to process relational concerns, training leaders to connect with young adults, and equipping the church to support young adults' relational needs.
Prior to joining the Boone Center team, Kelly taught as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology at Pepperdine's Seaver College. She earned a BS in Nutrition from Furman University, her MA in Counseling from Covenant Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in Family Therapy from Saint Louis University. Kelly is a researcher and speaker on the emotional experience of never-married single women. She has presented at local, state, national, and international conferences on singleness, long-distance dating relationships, eating disorders, and couples' use of communication technologies after infidelity.
As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, she specializes in couples work, adults wrestling with undesired singleness, and women struggling with eating disorders.
Kelly and her husband, Adam, have been married since 2016 and have three young children.
Kelly's Favorite Speaking Topics:
- Equipping young adults for relational success (dating, friendships, boundaries, relational styles, communication & conflict, relationship with family, and relationship with God)
- Helping singles cope with ambiguous loss
- Helping parents and teens understand eating disorders from a faith-based perspective
Contact Kelly at kelly.haer@pepperdine.edu or 310.506.8551.
Dori Lansbach
Dori Lansbach, Ph.D., serves as the Assistant Director of Relationship IQ at the Boone Center for the Family and is an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology. She teaches graduate-level courses including Individual, Couple, and Family Development: A Life Cycle Approach, Social Psychology, and Human Sexuality and Intimacy. She also instructs undergraduates in Relationship IQ 101: Building Healthy Relationships, equipping students with tools to foster strong, healthy connections.
Deeply invested in the well-being of student athletes, Dr. Lansbach helps lead the student athlete ministry at Pepperdine and supports athletes in strengthening both their mental and relational health.
She holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from The University of Edinburgh, where she also earned a Master’s degree in Documentary Film Directing. Her academic journey began at Pepperdine, where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts for Education. In addition to teaching elementary education, she has served as a teaching assistant for undergraduate psychology courses at Edinburgh.
Dr. Lansbach’s research focuses on psychological abuse in romantic relationships. She has presented her work at prominent conferences including the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Convention, the International Association for Relationship Research Conference, and the Conference of the Association of European Qualitative Researchers in Psychology.
A former collegiate athlete, Dr. Lansbach played basketball for Pepperdine and later competed professionally in Scotland and Spain for five years. She is passionate about Jesus, family, and empowering young adults to recognize the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships.
Contact Dori at dori.lansbach@pepperdine.edu.
Program Interns
rIQ Interns are an essential part of our team. This year we are proud to have the following Pepperdine students as interns:
Harry Kaminski
My name is Harry and I’m a Junior here at Pepperdine. I am studying sports medicine and eventually want to be an ER doctor. When I’m not in class I will either be at the gym or at the beach. I am so excited to work with Relationship IQ because it will allow me to meet with and have meaningful conversations with so many amazing people!
Johnnie Pena-Muir
Hello! My name is Johnnie, and I'm from the San Francisco Bay Area. I love helping people and making new friends, so I am ecstatic to serve as an intern at Relationship IQ. As a psychology major, I am all about building a strong, healthy mindset–especially when it comes to our relationships with God, each other, and ourselves. It pays to have a good relationship with your body as well, which is why some of my hobbies include calisthenics, general fitness, martial arts, and wrestling. You might find that I'm a little bit of a nerd too, so feel free to talk to me about your favorite TV shows, manga, movies, or books! I am grateful to be surrounded by friends at Pepperdine who are open-minded and eager to grow alongside me, and I hope I can be that same kind of friend to all of you.
Luke Penny
Hello, my name is Luke Penny and I am a senior from Sacramento, California! I am majoring in English because of my love for storytelling and writing. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Pepperdine because of the people I have met, and the beautiful nature that surrounds the campus. When I am free, I love all kinds of sports, and recently I have been golfing, surfing, climbing, and playing pickleball. If I'm feeling tired, I also really enjoy a good show, movie, or videogame. Above all, I am passionate about connecting with people by living in community, and that is why I am so excited to be an rIQ intern!
Email: luke.penny@pepperdine.edu
Sophia (Sofia) Preston
Hi! I’m Sofia, a junior psychology major from the Bay Area. I adore Pepperdine’s tight-knit community and how it encourages both personal and spiritual growth. I’m passionate about relationships, mental health, and helping others feel seen and understood, which is why I was drawn to Relationship IQ! Outside of class, you can find me spending time at the beach, exploring LA, or catching up with friends over coffee!
Email: sofia.preston@pepperdine.edu
Liza Shevetovska
Hey! My name is Liza, I'm a Sophomore at Pepperdine, majoring in psychology. At Pepperdine, I'm also a member of the Veritas club and a Great Books Colloquium fan! I enjoy challenging conversations and I believe in question-based learning. I came to college later than most people, and have switched life paths and countries several times after high school (willingly and circumstantial), and I feel very passionate about the self-growth that can come from changes. One of the things I enjoy most in life is conversation and connection, and one of the things I'm looking forward to at Relationship IQ the most is the opportunity to get to know the student body closer and share meaningful conversations!