Paige Gardner, PhD

• Paige Gardner CV (PDF)

Dr. Paige J. Gardner (she/her/hers) is currently an Assistant Professor of Student Development Administration (SDA) and scholar-practitioner in the field of student affairs and higher education. Prior to this role, Dr. Gardner served as an Assistant Dean of Students at Loyola University Chicago and has 12 years of experience in crisis management, multicultural affairs, and residential education. Dr. Gardner received her Ph.D. in higher education from Loyola University Chicago, a M.Ed. in Student Development Administration from Seattle University, and a BA in early child development from Mills College. Fun fact: Dr. Gardner is a proud alumna of the SDA program and served as an Assistant Residence Director in Xavier and Chardin/Murphy Apartments.

As a queer, Black feminist scholar, Dr. Gardner continues to radically imagine the success of those on the margins of society. Her research agenda centers race and gender equity in the workplace, the experience of emotional labor at historically White institutions and scholar-practitioner identity development. Dr. Gardner’s passion for social justice, collective leadership, and student-centered practice fuels her commitment to cultivate compassionate learning environments that empower graduate students to see themselves as scholars; in this way, she pushes graduate students to think more critically, build caring communities, and create lasting change in their spheres of influence. With cura personalis as a guiding principle in her professional practice, students can always expect to be affirmed, celebrated, and seen as whole inside and outside of the classroom.