Alexandra Garr-Schultz is a nominee for the 2018 Women of Color Student Leadership Award. A National Science Foundation fellow, she is pursuing a Ph.D. in social psychology at Northwestern University.
Alexandra’s work explores the extra identity “burdens” of underrepresented individuals in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), the impact of identity denial on the mental well-being of sexual minorities, and developing an entirely new framework to understand how individuals make sense of their multiple identities.
She has demonstrated leadership in research, mentoring, and service—within and outside the university setting.
Alexandra was a psychology and computer science student at Yale before joining Cisco Systems, where she served as a software engineer and accessibility expert.
"Armed with dual bachelor’s in computer science and psychology, she joined high tech to engineer user experiences, becoming an advocate of diversity and inclusion," said Dixie Garr, a patent-holding engineer, and mother of Alexandra. "Her passion drove her to undertake a doctorate program where she earned the prestigious National Science Foundation fellowship to research identity and belonging. Through her mentoring, teaching and outreach, she’s committed to push some ahead and pull others behind."
Growing up, Alexandra recalls her experiences at STEM conferences with her mother.
"I knew if other attendees succeeded, I could too," she said. "Starting my career, I felt pressure to fit into boxes. It turns out, that is not my style! I come from a legacy of women breaking barriers and defying expectations. At the forefront of civil rights, my grandmother risked her life to vote. It is my greatest honor to carry this legacy forward and help create a world where we never have to fit into other people’s boxes again.
