Current Schmitt Leadership Fellows

About Holly: I am from Kenosha, Wisconsin, the daughter of a retired nurse and a Vietnam War-era Veteran. Growing up biracial (African American and Irish), my parents taught me the importance of my heritage, caring for others (especially America’s veterans), music, and activism. I am a first-generation student and was raised by my single mother. My parents inspire me to work hard, achieve my dreams, and strive for academic and personal excellence. In the sixth grade, I read Malcolm X and Alex Haley’s The Autobiography of Malcolm X, which sparked my lifelong learning of Black activism and history. In my free time, I enjoy traveling to historical music sites, collecting vinyl records and Elvis Presley memorabilia, playing with my cockapoo, Presley, and spending time with my family. In 2015, I graduated with a B.A. in English and a certificate in Film Studies from The University of Wisconsin-Parkside. In 2018, I graduated with an M.A. in English from Marquette University. My bachelor’s and master’s degrees expanded my American and British literature knowledge. However,

Scholarship: My doctoral research examines police brutality, revolutionary violence, and hip-hop from The Black Power Movement to The Black Lives Matter Movement. I trace four generations of Black activists who advocate against extrajudicial killings. My dissertation is a literary genealogy of Black activism. My research centers on Malcolm X and Robert F. Williams, The Black Panther Party (Dr. Huey P. Newton and Assata Shakur), Tupac Shakur and Rapsody, and Black Lives Matter young adult literature novels like Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give. My work expands the African American literature canon to include youth culture art forms like hip-hop and young adult literature. I hope that my research and teaching will inspire my readers/students to learn about Black activism and youth culture through the lens of police brutality. In the future, I will obtain an Assistant Professor position in English or African and African American Studies and continue my research on Black social movements.

Leadership: I have shown leadership qualities in my academic career: as an Arthur J. Schmitt Fellow, as an English instructor, a committee member of the Association of English Graduate Students (AEGS), an officer in Sigma Tau Delta, a microteaching mentor, and a public speaker. As an Arthur J. Schmitt Fellow, I learned about my personality and behavioral traits that make me an effective leader. I collaborated with other fellows to complete a group survey. As an instructor, I teach my students Black literature and music. I empower them to think critically about Blackness and social movements. I encourage them to develop their writing skills in a welcoming classroom environment. I actively listen to my students' needs
and adapt my teaching style to foster classroom success. As an AEGS committee member, I work with the association, department faculty, and graduate students. As a microteaching mentor, I mentored incoming graduate teaching assistants in teaching English 1001. As a public speaker, I lecture on The History of Hip Hop and Black activism at public libraries and other public events. During undergrad, I served as an officer and graphic designer for The University of Wisconsin-Parkside’s Sigma Tau Delta chapter. I led Sigma Tau Delta meetings, inducted new honorees, raised chapter funding, and created graphics and flyers for the chapter.

About Madeline: Initially, as a young child growing up in Wauwatosa WI, I wanted to become a psychologist to be able to help kids who were struggling with anxiety and experiencing the benefits of therapy like I was. Through high-school and college at UW Madison, volunteer experiences like working at a family bereavement center and providing childcare during an emotional dysregulation support group for parents expanded my understanding of the impact of life’s challenges on mental health and solidified my drive to help others. However, it was not until my master’s program here at Marquette that my motivation to pursue a PhD in counseling psychology reached its current point. As a systems-oriented person, counseling psychology’s emphasis on social justice aligns with my own values of advocacy and community. Not only is mental health a vehicle for understanding the impact of larger societal issues, but the mental healthcare system itself is one that requires reform to improve access and quality of care for all people. In my career, I hope to empower clients on an individual level, while also contributing to innovation and commitment to progress within mental healthcare systems.

Scholarship: My current research efforts are focused on my dissertation examining how parents provide social support to peer-victimized children. I was inspired by talking with school social workers about barriers they encounter when trying to provide mental health resources to children. They discussed how parent social support is an effective intervention for children in distress, but that there is great variety in how and if parents will respond to their children with support. Thus, I am seeking to explore the process of how parents provide social support to children after bullying in hopes of identifying barriers that parents experience. I use qualitative methods operating from a constructivist paradigm as I see myself (the researcher) interacting with other’s lived experiences (data) in a way that describes only one of many possible truths. Implications from my study will hopefully address how mental health professionals can support parents in supporting their children.

Leadership: Throughout my graduate career, I have sought out or accepted opportunities based on them seeming like the right thing to do for my community. I serve as a mentor in my department’s mentorship program, have held the responsibility of coordinating student involvement in our interview day, and pursued curriculum change through our department’s racial justice committee because I want to preserve and bolster a positive culture within my program. Most recently, I have recognized how applying my leadership skills at an institutional level can influence my professional community toward systemic change. Involved with my state professional organization, Wisconsin Psychological Association, I was invited to contribute to the development of their strategic plan, accepted to attend a national conference as a graduate student delegate to discuss how state associations can better function to support professionals, and facilitated student town hall discussions. My goal as a leader is to go beyond myself and invite inclusion to have an even larger impact on society and my communities than I would as an individual.

About Saúl: I was born and raised in Milwaukee. I graduated from Marquette with my bachelor's degree and a master’s degree in Spanish language, literature, and culture at Marquette University. It was during my M.A that I served as a graduate assistant in the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion. As a graduate student I fell in love with coordinating on-campus programming and community facing work. I decided to pursue my doctoral degree in Education at Marquette given how much I enjoyed working with students and community members. I was excited to stay at Marquette and join the College of Education as they housed a program that allowed me to grow academically and professionally. At the college of education, I have served as an adjunct instructor as well as a graduate assistant. Currently, I live in the Southside of Milwaukee and enjoy playing soccer and visiting coffee shops.

Scholarship: My Scholarship is based and inspired by my own experience as a first-generation Latinx student in the Midwest. While navigating Marquette, I was able to learn about Hispanic Serving Institutions and form part of campus-wide initiatives. I am interested in Hispanic Serving Institutions and their role in educating Latinx students. Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) are colleges and universities that enroll 25% Latinx students. HSIs have been growing in the Midwest given the demographic shifts in the region. As such, my research seeks to expand the current HSI literature by examining HSIs in the Midwest as well as amplifying Latinx student at these institutions. I hope that my research highlights the importance of investing in students while also listening to their needs. My research aims to help practitioners and administrators reframe how they serve students of color in higher education and how institutions engage with the broader Latinx community. But most importantly, I hope that my research serves as a steppingstone for other researchers and students to continue to explore their own questions.

Leadership: I believe that leadership, when done well, creates bridges for others to connect and move together. I have always been invested in the power of establishing and cultivating personal relationships to come together and help students and further research. During my time as an undergraduate at Marquette, I was part of the Latin American Student Org. executive board. While in graduate school I have been able to serve as a graduate assistant in the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion where I was able to coordinate on-campus programming centered around Latinx issues. As a doctoral student in the college of education, I was part of the Black and Latino/a Ecosystem Transition (BLEST) hub housed under CURTO. I have also been part of the Milwaukee Community School Partnership with Marquette and helped organized youth summits on campus, where we brought MPS students to discuss youth voice and leadership. As part of the MKE roots team, I have lent my expertise on Milwaukee and mapping to help design material for teachers. As an adjunct instructor, I have taught about current issues in education and held space for aspiring educators to discuss their experiences. Most recently, I have been involved in the Latinx Research Committee here on campus, where I have been able to coordinate research chats, networking events, and other research activities as way to amplify and center Latinx scholars and Latinx research.

About Rocky: I grew up in a small desert town on the outskirts of L.A. County. I was close enough to the city to experience the traffic, but too far away to receive the science initiatives that were standard in the city. I was unaware of this until I started my first-year college System Physiology course. Lab opportunities that seemed so commonplace to others were completely foreign to me. My professor saw my imposter syndrome and pulled me aside one day after class. She assured me that my experiences showed creativity in learning and provided me with additional resources. Her care for my success and willingness to challenge my preconceived notions of education spurred my decision to accept a teaching position after graduation. I chose to pursue a Ph.D. with the intention of staying in academia to provide scholastic and personal support to all my students, as she offered me.

Scholarship: Approximately half of stroke survivors experience decreased sensation of limb position and movement, leading to a decrease in upper extremity motor control. An emerging body of literature suggests that supplemental vibrotactile feedback (VTF) may provide a useful compensatory aid for impaired proprioception. My research evaluates the benefits of reach-to-grasp training with 3-dimensional VTF for survivors of stroke. This will offer important insight as to whether VTF is a viable long-term solution for sensory augmentation. Sensorimotor improvements are crucial to increase stroke survivor autonomy, which can decrease caregiver burden and limit the financial burden of additional healthcare costs on survivors.

Leadership: I am dedicated to increasing opportunities for nontraditional and underrepresented individuals. As an Instructor at Southwest Technical College, I recruited a cohort of students from seven rural high schools to enroll remotely in our software development program. Furthermore, the computer science chair at Southern Utah University and I created a new pathway for non-traditional, low-income, or first-time students to start at the technical college and then advance to the university level. Within my joint department across two universities (Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin), I was elected as the program representative for both schools’ graduate student organizations. In 2021, I volunteered to be the graduate student representative on Marquette’s Committee on Teaching and still serve in this role. Through these roles, I actively engage in STEM recruitment and outreach throughout Wisconsin. As a Schmitt Fellow, I hope to define my new role as the Graduate Student Organization TA/RA Liaison to best support students in their assistantships.

About Kristen: I grew up outside of Minneapolis, where I very quickly learned I enjoyed baking, spending time outside, and reading. My sister and I, with our parents, were frequently outside, visiting sports stadiums and hiking around Minneapolis, and in the many places our travels have taken us. I’ve traveled to many countries around the world and have enjoyed learning about other cultures.

As an undergraduate student and the University of Minnesota, I was involved in several research opportunities that have led me down the path to join a PhD program. One particularly formative experience was working under Dr. Michelle J. Doyle, a senior research scientist who mentored me for 10 months. During this time, she not only taught me the science and experiments that I needed to do, but also gave me career advice, and helped with my courses when I needed it. Working with Dr. Doyle allowed me to really picture myself in science, conducting research, and mentoring students as she had mentored me, especially as a woman in science.

Now, I still enjoy baking, spending time outside, and reading, but I also enjoy crocheting, sewing, and finding new science facts. I like to curl up on the couch with my cat, Greta, reading a book or watching a movie.

Scholarship: My research work focuses on how organisms reproduce despite experiencing stressful conditions. In the wild, organisms must be able to maintain both their own life and the ability to produce offspring, even under stressful conditions. While there are many stressful conditions organisms can experience, rising surface temperatures and the increasing effects of climate change make it imperative to study the effect of increased temperature as an environmental stressor. Reproduction is very sensitive to higher temperature and therefore, can be profoundly impacted by increased temperatures even slightly above optimal living temperatures. My research is critical for understanding how organisms reproduce despite these stressful conditions, a problem that a wide range of organisms with temperature-sensitive reproduction face, including humans and many livestock animals and crops.

Leadership: Consistently throughout my undergraduate education at the University of Minnesota and all graduate education at Marquette, I have actively sought out leadership positions. During my undergraduate education, I was a member of the University of Minnesota NCAA Division I Women’s Gymnastics team, where I was selected to be a team captain. I also served on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee as a representative for my team to collaborate with others on solutions to issues experienced by student athletes. Throughout
my time at Marquette, I have participated in the planning and execution of various community outreach events, including the Girls Inc. of SE Wisconsin conference centered around providing girls opportunities for community and education. Second, from July 2022 to July 2024, I served as a Graduate Student Representative in the Department of Biological Sciences. I was liaison between the graduate students and the Graduate Affairs Committee, having regular meetings to bring questions, comments, and concerns of the graduate students to the committee. I coordinated a mentorship program between the first year and older graduate students to integrate the new students into the department and provide an additional resource for incoming students as they start their PhD journey at Marquette. I planned and executed department-wide events like the back-to-school picnic for all faculty, staff, and students, and the hosting of Dr. Patricia Brennen for a departmental seminar presentation. Each of these opportunities has allowed me to continue developing my leadership skills, building on what I began in my undergraduate.

About Domonique: My go-to explanation regarding my origins is: A South Carolinian by way of Southern California. Both geographical regions have powerfully shaped me. I am a newlywed of three years to my amazing wife, Melanie. I have two younger siblings: My sister, Chris, who lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her family, and my brother, R.J. who is a U.S. Army nationally ranked drill sergeant. Due to my mother’s military career, my siblings and I spent the first half of our childhood as army brats, moving around the country every 18 months. However, while the core of my extended family is based in Columbia, South Carolina, my in-law family in the California Central Coast has become dear to my heart. Amongst my many childhood interests, from skateboarding, basketball, soccer, and music, music continues to be my key activity outside of academia. Since I was seventeen years old, I’ve played bass guitar for regional touring acts and large stadiums, taught music lessons, and played bass on different records. Despite my many encouragements by friends to move to Nashville to pursue music full-time, I always opted for keeping one foot in my philosophy and theology class and one foot on stage. My Christian faith has been my life’s primary driving force since high school, only deepening through my academic and music involvement. I’ve also spent nine years working in the coffee industry as a barista. Thus, if not doing academic research, then there’s a strong likelihood you’ll find me reading at a local coffee shop, listening to music, and prepping for my next gig.

Scholarship: My scholarship investigates the intersections of African American and Latin American approaches to liberation philosophy, philosophy of religion, ethics, and social/political philosophy. In my dissertation, I argue that due to Liberation Philosophy mainly referring to the Latin American world, there is a particular need for an African American Liberation Philosophy, which I argue currently does not exist. In arguing that philosophy needs to be a committed act of satisfying the needs of society rather than theorizing for theory's sake, I explore why both areas of race theory and Philosophy Born of Struggle fail to meet this demand of commitment within the African American context. Subsequently, I respond to these deficits by tracing a thread of philosophical commitment in the works of James Cone, M. Shawn Copeland, and Cornel West, and thus, construct a model for a potential African American Liberation Philosophy. My research motivations stem largely from my reflections as a black philosophy student on the silence-to-complicity of the field of philosophy to adequately address black marginality and violence during the Obama and Trump years. Thus, my research’s central question is, what does it mean and look like to commit oneself to the African American community by virtue of one’s position as a philosopher.

Leadership: My leadership exists largely within my local church community here in Milwaukee. I serve on our church board of directors, as well as serving as the lead music director/bass guitarist. Both areas of service require a detailed eye for how to better serve the city of Milwaukee by holding our leadership accountable in vision execution and holding our worship team accountable through balancing the qualities of musical excellence and grace. I provide a listening ear for the vision and perspective for our church leadership, while also training other MD’s musicians to lead our worship team by gauging the different musical directions available to us during our Sunday services and other events we play. My position as a philosopher significantly engages both areas of church leadership and worship by investigating questions of cultural sensitivity, encouraging deep reflection upon our vision and responsibilities, and continually calling for deep creativity in how we address our city, especially in 2024. In this way, my leadership is my way of materializing the mandates of my philosophical research.

About Kaylen: My interest in psychology was ignited by watching my mother’s dedication to her studies, even as her own academic ambitions were curtailed by the demands of being a mother, soldier, and student. Her relentless pursuit of a psychology degree, despite the hurdles she faced, not only inspired me to carry on her legacy but also instilled in me qualities of strength, passion, and resilience, and showed me what it means to be a true leader. What started as a commitment to fulfill my mother’s dream soon became my own, evolving with my personal experiences. Initially, I was drawn to psychology for its promise of understanding human thought and emotion. However, I soon realized that the textbooks lacked representation of experiences like mine as a Black woman. This insight deepened my commitment to studying how racism affects mental health and exacerbates systemic disparities. Today, my work focuses not only on understanding these impacts but also on developing actionable solutions through networking and community partnerships, research, and service. This dedication shapes both my personal and professional goals, driving me to champion equity in mental health and advocate for the restoration of everyone's right to well-being and good health.

Scholarship: I am currently studying how structural racism impacts the mental health and mental healthcare of racial and ethnic minorities, aiming to drive meaningful change in this area. My research focuses on amplifying historically underrepresented perspectives and addressing the gaps in current research, particularly how systemic inequities affect mental health outcomes and healthcare access. By collaborating with research teams and community partners, we are working to rebuild trust between research institutions and communities of color. This involves fostering positive relationships, improving access to research, and supporting community-led initiatives to enhance the well-being of its members. In my work with the Mental Health Disparities Research (MHDR) Lab, the Milwaukee Trauma Outcomes Project (MTOP), and community partnerships, I investigate the mental and physical effects of structural racism, stress responses in trauma recovery, and mental health outcomes among racial and ethnic minorities. Additionally, I lead efforts to understand and address medical and cultural distrust in the Black community through focus groups and community-based research. My goal is to integrate research findings with clinical practice to develop culturally responsive interventions and policies that address disparities and promote health equity.

Leadership: For me, leadership has manifested in various roles: as the Graduate Student Representative on the Psychology Department’s Diversity Committee, where I advanced diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice; as a researcher, improving access to health services for underserved populations; as a clinician in training, advocating for patient-centered care; as a club volleyball coach, helping young women refine their skills and grow as athletes; as a live-in student resident at St. Camillus independent living facility, learning from and connecting with our elders; and as the eldest of seven siblings, providing support and care for my family. These experiences have taught me that leadership involves having the courage to take on responsibility, the humility to listen and learn from others, and the conviction to move forward. While leadership may not always be glamorous or immediately visible, it is fundamentally about showing up in meaningful ways, uplifting others from where they are, and recognizing and nurturing their strengths. It’s about harnessing those strengths to create something beneficial for everyone. I recognize that my leadership journey is just beginning. I am excited to continue uplifting others and developing my full potential, aiming to create something valuable for us all.