Alexis Harrell

Alexis Harrell is a racial justice researcher studying identity-based trauma in marginalized populations through psychology, narrative studies, and photography.

As a 2023 Marshall Scholar, she is pursuing an MSc in Narrative Futures: Art, Data, Society from the University of Edinburgh and an MSc in Psychiatric Research from Kings College London. She then plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology to research the social and psychological consequences of experiencing racial trauma and PTSD in BIPOC populations.

Alexis graduated summa cum laude from the University at Buffalo with degrees in Psychology and Sociology but worked across disciplines to address racial discrimination. She created curricula for 600 computing students to understand algorithmic bias, published research on Democratic Presidents’ racist tough-on-crime rhetoric, and won “best psychology honors thesis” for her thesis: “The Black Lives Matter Movement: The Influence of Cognitive Load and Implicit Attitudes on Supporters’ Engagement.” Additionally, she spearheaded a narrative photography workshop for adults with Down syndrome as her HIA Action Project.

Updated August 2023