С»ÆÊé

Sheba Aikawa is a PhD candidate in the Social Psychology program within the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she works with Dr. Eva Pietri. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University at Albany, SUNY, and a master’s degree from New York University. Broadly, her research examines what factors promote welcoming spaces and how negative stereotypes may lead to hostile environments across healthcare, academia, and workplace settings, with a focus on marginalized perspectives. Much of her work centers on identity-safety (i.e., feeling that one’s identities are valued in an environment) and cues that signal identity-safety. Her dissertation explores how recent federal restrictions on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives shape students’ experiences in higher education, particularly for Black and Latine students. Outside of her research, Sheba enjoys reality tv, true crime, Beyoncé, and doting on her dog, Roscoe Chicken and Waffles.