IWL is grateful to have an amazing team working at Marquette. Check out our Leadership Team, Student Interns & Support Staff, Spring 2024 Fellows and Fall 2024 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
Kayley Reith
IWL Technology and Event Planning Intern
Kayley Reith is a Junior at Marquette University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Data Science with a minor in Computer Science, coupled with a Master of Science in Computer and Information Science with a focus on Software Development. Beyond her academic achievements, Kayley takes the reins in leadership roles as an Executive Board member in both the Women's Rugby Team and Kappa Delta Sorority and is an integral part of the Math Club. Kayley's true passion lies in software development, where she thrives, showcasing a unique blend of mathematical acumen and analytical prowess. With her sights set on a career in data science or computer science, Kayley's eager to apply her skills collaboratively, offering data-driven solutions that make a real-world impact. She continues to excel academically and lead in extracurricular pursuits, shaping a future where her skills will drive innovation in these fields, and is ready to tackle new opportunities with the Institute of Women’s Leadership.
Megan Townsend
IWL Technology and Event Planning Intern
Megan Townsend is a Senior, majoring in Communication Studies and Elementary/Secondary Education. Prior to joining IWL she worked at Westown Association, as an Event Production intern, and gained skills in event planning and event management. She is currently working as a tour guide and enjoys sharing her Marquette experience with prospective students. Megan is looking forward to crafting new skills and critiquing her current strengths with the help of her coworkers and managers. Megan is looking forward to a year of growth and new opportunities with the Institute for Women’s Leadership.
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Daniel Collette, PhD
Daniel Collette, PhD, is a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Marquette University and is affiliated with the Minnesota Center for Canon Expansion and Change. His research and teaching aim to recover and amplify philosophical voices that have been forgotten or erased due to identity factors like gender, race, and social class. He is co-editor of the Philosophical Works of Blaise and Jacqueline Pascal (Hackett, 2025), a project funded in part through the National Endowment of the Humanities. His most recent work explores Pascalian metaphysics as well as ethical and socio-political questions of autonomy and resistance centered around Jacqueline Pascal and the Port-Royal nuns.
Alexandra Kriofske Mainella, PhD, CRC, LPC-IT
Dr. Alexandra Kriofske Mainella is a PhD prepared counselor educator. She is in her fifth year of teaching, service and research in the Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology program and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor and has a professional counselor’s training license. She has extensive experience with youth service and counseling individuals with disabilities, having begun a youth leadership program in a Milwaukee independent living center and taking the program from its inception to a fully funded youth service program with a staff of five, serving more than 500 young people with disabilities annually. Dr. Kriofske Mainella is a nationally recognized sexual and relationship health educator for youth with and without disabilities and has vast experience developing and managing programs in youth service, mental health and disability service. Dr. Kriofske Mainella is the chair of her department’s Racial and Social Justice Committee and the lead instructor of the Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology department’s Multicultural Counseling course. She also was raised by her parents to speak up for injustice and fight for change, a driving value in both her personal and professional life.
Sabirat Rubya, PhD
Sabirat Rubya, PhD, is an Assistant Professor within the Computer Science Department at Marquette University, where she also co-directs the Social and Ethical Computing Lab. Her research spans human-computer interaction, social computing, health informatics, and human-aided machine learning. A significant area of her work involves designing mobile health technologies, particularly for critical health contexts like mental health among pregnant women. Her contributions are recognized in renowned conferences and journals, including ACM CHI and CSCW. Dr. Rubya earned her PhD in Computer Science from the University of Minnesota.
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Alison Clark Efford, PhD
Alison Clark Efford, PhD, is an associate professor of history who specializes in immigration to the United States from about 1850 to 1920. Her numerous publications include: "German Immigrants, Race, and Citizenship in the Civil War Era" (2013), "Radical Relationships: The Civil War Era Correspondence of Mathilde Franziska Anneke" (ed. and trans. with Viktorija Bilic, 2021) and “Women’s Empowerment through Strength Sports—and Its Limits: The Case of the German American Turners, 1880s–1920s,” in "Gender and Power in Strength Sports, ed. Brigden, Forbis, and Hejtmanek" (2023). Efford enjoys community-engaged and collaborative teaching and research and is currently working on two major projects: a book on immigrant suicide and a full biography of the German American feminist and abolitionist Mathilde Franziska Anneke (1817–1884). Both projects find inspiration in the history of emotions, exploring the ways in which humans are “biocultural” beings for whom social and cultural interactions shape embodied experiences.
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