Skip to main content
College of Arts and Sciences Homepage
Department of
Psychology

Identity, Diversity, and Educational Equity Lab

PI: Giselle Laiduc

Giselle Laiduc

About the Lab:

In the Identity, Diversity, and Educational Equity (IDEE) Lab, our research program is guided by the core question: Given their history of social exclusion, how can universities better meet the needs of and serve an increasingly diverse student population? We draw on scholarship from multiple disciplines (e.g., psychology, education, sociology) to investigate the sociocultural context of higher education and its influence on students’ psychological wellbeing.

Our scholarship engages diverse research partnerships (e.g., students, staff, faculty) and multiple methods (e.g., lab and field experiments, interviews, surveys) in three growing lines of research:

  1. Sociocultural factors that impact the transition to and through college (and in specific learning contexts, like STEM fields)
  2. Culturally-relevant psychological interventions that foster identity safety and belonging
  3. Beliefs and discourses about diversity that promote (or inhibit) student outcomes

We examine students’ experiences in context, which involves taking an explicitly anti-deficit approach to issues related to identity, diversity, and educational equity. That is, we interrogate common assumptions about underrepresentation and underperformance in higher education, hoping to inform university practices and policies that promote educational equity and student wellbeing.

We aim to cultivate a research space where undergraduate research assistants draw from their own expertise as students navigating higher education to assist in or develop projects that matter to them and their communities, and that inform theory and scholarship. Research assistants may be involved in various research tasks, from conducting literature reviews, supporting research design, preparing study materials, collecting, cleaning, and analyzing data, and/or communicating research findings through presentations, short reports, posters, or infographics.

Students of Giselle Laiducs Identity, Diversity, and Educational Equity Lab
2025-2026
Top row: Cheryl Jenkins, Ryen Hampton, Roselyn Jauregui-Mejia, Ethan Phan, Alexis Alvarez Figueroa.
Bottom row: August LaPorte, Zara Farber, Gina Hack.

(Top row: Gina Hack, Tehya West, Cheryl Jenkins, Bella Burleigh, Bottom Row: Alexis Alvarez Figueroa, August LaPorte.
2024-2025
Top row: Gina Hack, Tehya West, Cheryl Jenkins, Bella Burleigh.
Bottom Row: Alexis Alvarez Figueroa, August LaPorte.

Mia Flores, Kaitlyn Robles, Cheryl Jenkins, Tamara Elliot
2023-2024
Mia Flores, Kaitlyn Robles, Cheryl Jenkins, Tamara Elliot.

Joining the Lab:

  • If you are interested or would like to learn more, please fill out an online application. No research experience is required to join!
  • Preference is given to applicants who can attend the weekly lab meeting and dedicate at least 6 hours/week to lab tasks; however, any interested SCU undergraduates may apply at any time.
  • Research requires a meaningful time commitment. Students who are already heavily involved in multiple extracurricular activities or other commitments may consider applying when they have more availability in their schedules.
  • At the same time, balancing academics and work can be tough, especially for students managing financial responsibilities. If you're interested in applying to the lab but are concerned about managing these commitments, please reach out to Dr. Laiduc (I’m happy to brainstorm potential paid opportunities!). Work-study students are especially encouraged to apply.
  • Applications are typically reviewed in Spring quarter for positions the following academic year, but feel free to apply at any time.*
    • *Please note: Dr. Laiduc will not be recruiting any new research assistants while she is on leave in Fall 2026.