Education
PhD in Applied Linguistics and Communications, Birkbeck, University of London
Subjects
Intersectional Identities and Belonging, Applied Linguistics, Cultural and Social Psychology, Multilingualism, Mixed-Methods Research
Achievements
First Class in BA in Philosophy and First Class in MA in Philosophy and English; PhD funded by a full scholarship; 3-year British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship (2019) at Queen Mary University of London; Visiting Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of Washington (2019-2023); National Science Foundation grant for a project on whether race categories reflect racial identities
About
Alex is a postdoctoral scholar under a National Science Foundation grant in the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington. Her research is unified by an interest in multiple and intersectional identities and belonging, drawing on her experiences as a migrant, an interdisciplinary scholar, and a first-generation college student. She works across applied linguistics and cultural and social psychology, using mixed methods, and has extensive experience supervising BA and MA theses.
Discipline
Psychology & Social Sciences
Academic Achievements
Achieved a First Class in her BA in Philosophy and First Class in her MA in Philosophy and English. Alex has a PhD in Applied Linguistics and Communications from Birkbeck University of London, recipient of a full Scholarship. She received a 3-year British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship Award in 2019 at Queen Mary University of London to conduct a project entitled “Are multilingual and multicultural identities an obstacle to integration?”. She was a Visiting Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of Washington, Seattle, between 2019 and 2023 and has received a National Science Foundation grant to conduct a project entitled “Do race categories reflect racial identities? De-essentializing demographic categories.” Alex has received numerous awards, such as the AILA solidarity award (project: “Diversity Within Diversity) in 2024, the Newton-fund Researcher link grant (project: “English as Lingua Franca in ASEAN countries”), the International Society for Research on Emotion award (project: “A cartography of diversity”), the International Symposium of Bilingualism (project: “Multiple selves in multiple languages”). She has published 13 papers in high-impact journals and a book, entitled “Exploring identity beyond language and culture”. Lastly, she has presented at over 20 conferences, organised 5 research panels, and has been invited as a plenary and key-note speaker to discuss topics such as language bias, language diversity and emotion in educational contexts, and assessing intersecting aspects of diversity. Lastly, she has always been focused on giving something back to the community and outreach and social impact have always been a foremost priority. One of her most recent project, “Multidentities” involved artists and artisan in Seattle: https://multidentities.wordpress.com/
Teaching & Mentoring Experience
Alex has extensive experience as a teacher and a mentor (undergraduate, postgraduate) and has supervised several BA and MA theses, as well as published papers with students. Her experience as a low-income first-generation college student, spanning across disciplines and countries, often gave her the impression she had to work harder than others. She thought she was never going to excel at what she loved, learning, because of practical constraints. It was not until she completed her PhD that she realised her flaws were in fact her strengths. Her multilingual identity and work outside the academia grounded her in her social investigations, while her interdisciplinary background refined her inquisitive nature. This revelation shaped her teaching principles: (1) learning starts from the self, (2) it goes beyond teachers’ and students’ roles, and (3) it is a never-ending process. In order to reduce systemic disparities in education, it is imperative to generate opportunities that allow everyone to succeed, providing an educational experience that prepares all students to address the challenges of a diverse and changing world. She first aims to create a space where students become independent thinkers, drawing from their individuality, emotions, and understanding of broader sociological processes. Allowing them to find their own voice and gain confidence is instrumental in helping them progress. Second, she firmly believes that learning implies a mutual exchange between each party. Since she, too, has a lot to learn from her students, she adopts an iterative approach, which varies with the class dynamics and student population. Lastly, in line with my research goals and your mission to enable research in support of a healthy planet and the physical and societal well-being of its inhabitants, she helps students reflect on social responsibility. She strives to inspire students to challenge old ideas and explore novel terrains. These are the qualities that empower them to identify and counter inequalities, question systemic faults, and develop competences that will enhance not only their prospective career, but also the entire community.
Explore more mentors