IWL is grateful to have an amazing team working at Marquette. Check out our Leadership Team, Student Interns & Support Staff, Spring 2025 IWL Fellows, and Fall 2025 IWL Fellows below!
Leadership Team
IWL Director — Lisa M. Edwards, PhD
Professor, Director of Training-Counseling Psychology
Lisa M. Edwards, PhD, is a Professor of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology. She joined Marquette University in 2005 after completing a post-doctoral fellowship at Notre Dame University. In her department, Edwards teaches, conducts research and trains future counselors and counseling psychologists. Her scholarly work focuses on Latinx psychology, perinatal mental health, and the intersection of multiculturalism and positive psychology. Through her interdisciplinary and community research collaborations, Edwards seeks to better support Latina mothers and families during the perinatal period, and address barriers to mental health care and well-being. She has published numerous research articles and is the co-editor of the Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology (3rd edition). Edwards was a Fulbright Scholar to Medellín, Colombia and received the Distinguished Professional Early Career Award from the National Latinx Psychological Association. She is also a recipient of Marquette University’s Faculty Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion award.
IWL Coordinator — Sarah Camp, MCE
Sarah Camp (she/her/they) is a 2009 Business and 2012 Entrepreneurship alumna with a diverse set of skills and experience essential to supporting the smooth operation and foundation building of IWL. Most recently she served as AmeriCorps Director at Red Cloud Indian School in Pine Ridge Reservation, where she also drove a school bus and was a part-time field researcher for the University of Colorado Denver—Anschutz Medical School’s Thiwáhe Gluwáš’akapi (TG) program. Prior to that, Camp grew her business acumen and leadership through various rising roles in retail management and events and sponsorship management in the outdoor industry. She is a life-long learner and hopes to continue her studies in law with a focus on mediation, as well as business and nonprofit support as she serves IWL.
Leadership Development Coordinator — X’Zandria Weil
Meet X’Zandria Weil, the Leadership Development Coordinator at IWL for Marquette University, from Racine, WI. In her role, X’Zandria is on a mission to cultivate the next generation of transformative women leaders. Her journey from college days at UW-Stout to her transfer to UW-Parkside taught her the value of mentorship, especially from inspiring black women. Even with being an introvert, X’Zandria has blossomed into a great speaker and leader by stepping out of her comfort zone. She volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club and served as the volunteer coordinator and board member for Racine Women for Racial Justice. She initiated a Girls Group in collaboration with a high school nurse, focusing on empowering young girls with tools for self-care and building self-acceptance. She has also shared her wisdom at The National Council of Negro Women, Inc., offering insights into effective time management for college preparation. Additionally, she excelled as the marketing and project coordinator for Tutus and Tennis Shoes, educating non-black parents about proper hair care for black children, leading to sold-out workshops. She's been a mentor for a diverse group of women through The Wisconsin Women’s Network Policy Institute. As a social media marketing lover, X’Zandria has helped countless entrepreneurs through workshops and speaking engagements, including her 'Constant Made Easy' workshop, a hit at the Progress Center for Black Women. Her true passion lies in nurturing women leaders and advocating for the recognition, compensation, and equity of Black women. X’Zandria's journey from introvert to leader epitomizes her unwavering commitment to engage, inspire, and transform.
Vice President of Research and Innovation – Jeanne Hossenlopp, PhD
Jeanne Hossenlopp, PhD, is Marquette University’s vice president for research and innovation. She is a professor of chemistry, served as vice provost for research and dean of the Graduate School from 2010-2015, was interim dean of the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences from 2008-2010, and was chair of the Department of Chemistry from 2004-2008.
Dr. Hossenlopp joined Marquette in 1989. That year she received a Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation New Faculty Award, a national award given to 10 new faculty in chemistry, biochemistry, or chemical engineering annually. Dr. Hossenlopp, who has taught chemistry at the undergraduate and graduate levels, was awarded the Rev. John P. Raynor, S.J., Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence in 2003.
In her current role, Dr. Hossenlopp is charged with facilitating growth in campus research and scholarship, as well as working to build an inclusive culture of innovation that includes management of the university’s Explorer Challenge, the President’s Challenge, and the newly created campus Ideation Review Council. Dr. Hossenlopp has been involved in leading the university’s Beyond Boundaries Strategic Plan and serves as a campus leader for the plan's Research in Action theme. She oversees the work of the offices of Research Compliance and Research and Sponsored Programs, the Kohler Center for Entrepreneurship; the Marquette Women’s Innovation Network and the Institute for Women’s Leadership, research activities in the Athletics and Human Performance Research Center, as well as Marquette’s presence in the Global Water Center. She is the PI for Marquette’s NSF ADVANCE award, a million-dollar grant to create institutional transformation to support the success of women faculty in STEM-related fields. She is on the board of the Milwaukee Regional Innovation Center and is a member of the U.S. Council of Competitiveness’ Technology Leadership and Strategic Initiative. Dr. Hossenlopp is also a member of TEMPO Milwaukee and serves on the TEMPO Women’s Affinity Alliance advisory committee.
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Student Interns, RAs, & GAs
Nagwa Ahmed's LinkedIn profile
IWL Technology & Event Planning Intern
Nagwa Ahmed is a junior pursuing a degree in Psychology on a Pre-Occupational Therapy track, with a minor in Business Administration. She is a Sudanese-American committed to advocating for marginalized communities, advancing health equity, and using creativity as a tool for healing and change. Nagwa proudly seeks to represent her Sudanese heritage through her accomplishments and aims to apply her education to contribute meaningfully to Sudan’s future, particularly in healthcare access and community rehabilitation.
Nagwa works at the Wisconsin Early Autism Project (WEAP), providing individualized behavioral therapy to children with ASD. Outside of healthcare, Nagwa is a self-taught artist who uses her art to raise awareness and funds for Sudan. She has experience leading community-based initiatives in advocacy, education, and grassroots fundraising. Nagwa’s leadership is grounded in service, empathy, and her vision of building a more just and inclusive global community. She is honored to be a part of IWL and looks forward to learning, growing, and collaborating with a community committed to women's empowerment.
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Paul Gagliardi, PhD | English
Sarah Gendron, PhD | Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
Lee Za Ong, PhD | Dentistry
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Terry Burant, PhD
Clinical Associate Professor Terry Burant, PhD, serves as the Director of Teacher Education in the College of Education. Most recently, she led a team of faculty and staff in a 6-year teacher education curriculum redesign, simultaneously meeting new state accreditation standards and reflecting the core values of Marquette’s teacher education program. In addition, for the last 10 summers, she’s taught the Teaching Dentistry course to graduate students in the Dental School. Dr. Burant earned her PhD in Teaching and Teacher Education at the University of Arizona and was awarded the John P. “Jack” Ellbogen Meritorious Teaching Award at the University of Wyoming in 2016. As a former high school science teacher, swim coach, and camp director, Dr. Burant brings a practical perspective to her work as an educator in multiple contexts and enjoys working with teachers to identify puzzles in their teaching practice as well as investigate and enact solutions. You might find her swimming in Lake Superior, lifeguarding and managing an outdoor pool in downtown Milwaukee, planning and hosting theme parties, mermaiding, and playing cowgirl in Wyoming and South Dakota.
Christine Dalessio, PhD
Christine Falk Dalessio received her PhD in Theology from the University of Dayton and joined the Theology department in 2022. Her dissertative scholarship considered John Paul II’s Theology of the Body through a contemporary Catholic feminist hermeneutic. Her published contributions include thoughts on Evangelium Vitae and the prophetism of women in Woman as Prophet at Home and in the World, an article on body language in Listening Journal at Duquesne, and a recent chapter in the first of a collaborative two-volume set Theology and Tolkien. Dr. Dalessio has a particular interest in grassroots movements for women and has spoken on several occasions to both academic and broader audiences on embodiment, ethics, and women's issues in the context of Catholicism.
Desiree Valentine, PhD
Desiree Valentine is an assistant professor of philosophy at Marquette University. Her research areas include critical disability theory, feminist philosophy, bioethics, and critical philosophy of race. Her research addresses the intersections of race and disability from a philosophical perspective attendant to the historical, sociopolitical, and legal processes of racialization and constructions of disability. She has published on topics such as racial health inequity, disability justice, and reproductive justice. You can find her work in Journal of Speculative Philosophy, Journal of Philosophy of Disability, Critical Philosophy of Race, Bioethics, and Puncta: Journal of Critical Phenomenology.
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