Not all career paths are direct; some have detours that offer invaluable life experiences, unique turning points that shape a life. This is the case for Donna Garcia, an inaugural member of CIFAR’s new Junior Fellow Academy.
Donna’s path started with a traditional upbringing that did not encourage the pursuit of higher education. She was expected to go straight into the working world, which she did immediately after high school. She took a job in sales in a male dominated environment. Donna quickly grew aware of, and frustrated with, perceived limitations of her education, and the fact that she was a woman. She felt these things were keeping her from advancing. This frustration prompted her to start a business degree on a part-time basis.
When Donna became pregnant with her first child, maternity leave meant 6 months and no job security. When she returned to work, it was to a different position with less compensation. As with many women in similar circumstances, she was made to feel less valuable because her hours were constrained by child care. Meetings were deliberately scheduled at times that were inconvenient or impossible for a new mother. This struck her as inherently unfair. She sought out new tools to better equip herself to meet such challenges.
These experiences gave her a unique perspective on a world that would later become part of her research. She left her job and began her University track in earnest. While pursuing her degree, Donna had a second child.
Donna discovered and was captivated by psychology. She completed a Masters degree in Applied Social Psychology. During this time, she got to know the work of CIFAR program member Nyla Branscombe. Dr. Branscombe is known for cutting-edge research in group-based differences. Dr. Branscombe was the first in the field to openly address the idea of “perceived privilege” – the social, political and cultural advantages accorded to certain societal groups.
Dr. Branscombe’s work helped inspire Donna to make a big leap. With her young family, she followed Dr. Branscombe to Kansas University. Donna received her Ph.D. in Social Psychology with Nyla Branscombe as her thesis advisor.
Now Dr. Garcia has become a member of CIFAR’s Junior Fellow Academy. She works under the mentorship of another CIFAR member, Leanne Son Hing in CIFAR’s Successful Societies program. With Dr. Son Hing, Dr. Garcia’s current work explores how an unequal distribution of wealth affects health and performance. Her review of the literature from various health-related disciplines (e.g., population health, epidemiology, sociology, and psychology) so far shows that where there is large disparity of wealth in a society, health is negatively impacted for both low income earners and those at the upper end.
For example, the wealth disparity in the United States is much greater than that of Sweden. Sweden has better overall population health than does the USA across both low and high income earners. In light of this and other evidence, Drs. Garcia & Son Hing have developed a model of the relationship between wealth disparity and population outcomes. Their goal is to highlight the social and psychological factors that stem from wealth inequality and contribute to poor societal health.
Of her work with CIFAR Donna says, “I have learned so much this past year. Working with CIFAR’s cross disciplinary approach has allowed me to expand my research methods and knowledge base and has been an opportunity for me to become a better researcher. The members of CIFAR’s Successful Societies program are remarkable scholars and it is a great privilege to be a part of this group.”
This April 14th, CIFAR will bring together the first assembly of Junior Fellows for a historic meeting. It will mark the official launch of a remarkable initiative designed to cultivate gifted young researchers, and to create new generations of thought leaders.
Congratulations to Dr. Donna Garcia, CIFAR’s first Junior Fellow appointment.
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