Leslie W. Boey, PhD candidate in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development’s (OLPD) Higher Education program, was awarded the CEHD GAGE Dissertation Completion Fellowship (GDCF) for the 2023-24 academic year.

Boey’s dissertation is titled, Anti-Asian Racism & the Critical Identity Development of Asian American College Students. This study uses critical storytelling to explore how Asian American undergraduates negotiated their racial identities during a period of hypervisible anti-Asian racism.

Boey states, “As an Asian American woman scholar, my work, personal life, and doctoral journey has been directly impacted by the racist, misogynist, and xenophobic discrimination during the Trump and COVID-19 eras.” She continues, “I seek to promote Asian American issues and agency in the ongoing dialogue about systemic racism and foster an expanded language and understanding of the nuanced ways that (anti-)racism manifests in U.S. society.”

After graduation, Boey intends to pursue work as a research-driven diversity educator who facilitates learning and training opportunities to develop aspiring socially just organizations.