When you were a child, what was your response to this question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
A lawyer and a teacher. My mom was a middle school history teacher and then she went to law school. She is now a practicing lawyer — and I always wanted to be just like her! It is interesting to me that, as a professor, I will actually be fulfilling one of these dreams.
RESEARCH IN 5 WORDS:
“Diversity’s dynamic nature at work.”
Share the pivotal moment in your life that helped you choose your field of study.
When I was an undergraduate student at Michigan State University, I had two professors who encouraged me to pursue a PhD. While I was interested in that prospect, I wanted to get out in the “real world” and work before I considered doing any graduate studies. After working in corporate finance for three years, I decided to attend a conference that was sponsored by The PhD Project — an organization that is dedicated to increasing the diversity of business school faculty. It was during this conference that I decided it was the perfect profession for me.
Leigh (right) grew up dancing and currently performs in a tap ensemble. Here, she poses with her aunt after a performance last year.
Tell us about a time you encountered a tricky problem. How did you handle it and what did you learn from it?
When I first started my doctoral program, I was pretty lost — I had no idea how to navigate the process of starting a research project. After spending about a week agonizing about this, I talked with two students in my program, who told me to start building relationships with faculty in our department. After a series of one-on-one meetings, I formed collaborations with two faculty members and, by the end of the semester, began building a relationship with my current advisor, Shimul Melwani. I learned that relationships are important — and that it’s okay to ask others for help and guidance.
What are your passions outside of research?
Tap dancing. I started dancing when I was about 3 years old and danced competitively throughout middle and high school. After moving to Chapel Hill for my doctoral program, I reconnected with my love for tap. It provides me with the energy I need to persevere when I hit road blocks within my research.