Emily Schell

Bio

Emily Schell is a Doctoral Candidate in Developmental and Psychological Sciences at Stanford's Graduate School of Education (GSE), graduating in June 2024. Prior to starting her doctoral study, Emily received her double bachelors from Brown University in East Asian Studies (with honors) and International Relations. She also served as a Fulbright English Teacher in Taiwan and received her masters in International Comparative Education from Stanford's GSE.

Emily uses mixed methods to study "cultural mismatches" between individuals and their social institutions, with the goal of helping higher education and workplaces support their increasingly diverse students and employees. Her dissertation examines how universities can create culturally responsive advising systems for immigrant and international students. Her research has earned multiple grants, including from the National Academic Advising Association, and has been published in high-impact journals, such as Ethnic and Racial Studies. In addition to her research, Emily has been the primary or co-instructor for 11 courses, spanning introductory to advanced coursework. As a result of her "individualized support of students, innovative use of technology, and passion for community engaged learning," she was the 2021 graduate student recipient of the Walter J. Gores Award, Stanford's highest teaching honor.

Honors & Awards

• Walter J. Gores Award for Excellence in Teaching, Stanford University (2021)
• National Academic Advising Association Research Grant, National Academic Advising Association (2023)
• James W. Lyons Award for Service, Stanford University (2022)
• Silver Award, Best Digital Teaching Resource, Council for Advancement and Support of Education (2022)
• Diversity Dissertation Research Grant, Stanford University (Vice Provost for Graduate Education) (2022)
• Dissertation Support Grant, Stanford University (Graduate School of Education) (2023)

Research Interests

• Diversity and Identity
• Equity in Education
• Higher Education
• Immigrants and Immigration
• Psychology

Current Research and Scholarly Interests

As a psychologist in a School of Education, Emily utilizes an interdisciplinary and mixed methods approach to study cultural (mis)matches between students’ norms and the norms of their U.S. higher education institutions. She does so by pursuing three interconnected lines of research, examining (1) advising and teaching approaches that create cultural matches or mismatches for immigrant and international students, (2) cultural taxation of students of color seeking to remedy cultural mismatches with their institutions, and (3) the relationship of cultural (mis)match to students’ development of purpose. This research has enabled her to make both theoretical and applied contributions, bridging gaps between social and cultural psychologists hoping to understand specific domains and impacts of cultural mismatch and higher education leaders hoping to make their communities more inclusive. Her dissertation, entitled "Culturally Responsive Advising: A New Avenue for Supporting Immigrant and International Students," is an example of these contributions.