Arthur J. Schmitt Leadership Fellow, Asianna Harris, aims to transform psychologist training through research on case conceptualization

Asianna Harris, a fourth-year doctoral student in Counseling Psychology at Marquette University, has been selected as one of eight Arthur J. Schmitt Leadership Fellows for the 2025–2026 academic year. This prestigious fellowship recognizes socially responsible leadership in the sciences and humanities and provides recipients with leadership training, interdisciplinary project opportunities, and professional development resources.

Harris, who is earning her Ph.D. through the Department of Counselor Education & Counseling Psychology, focuses her research on improving how future psychologists are trained, particularly in the clinical skill of case conceptualization. This essential skill, she explains, is the process of making meaning of a patient’s story, understanding the origins of emotional and mental concerns, what maintains them, and how best to promote healing and well-being.

“My dissertation explores how faculty teach and evaluate case conceptualization,” Harris shares. “Ultimately, this research aims to improve psychologist training and foster a deeper understanding of the people we serve, including their unique narratives and sociocultural contexts.”

Raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, Harris credits her diverse upbringing as a Black and Asian woman, and her interdisciplinary undergraduate education in postcolonial literature, psychology, and anthropology for shaping her passion for psychology. “I developed a personal commitment to understanding people through multiple lenses,” she says. “That holistic perspective is now foundational to my research.”

Harris was drawn to Marquette for the Counseling Psychology program’s strong emphasis on qualitative research and its history of training health psychologists. She was particularly interested in working with Dr. Sarah Knox and Dr. Alan Burkard because their scholarship closely matched her academic interests.

Over the course of her doctoral studies, Harris has been especially influenced by Dr. Knox. “Dr. Knox has challenged me to consider, through my research and clinical work, what we know, how we know it, and what we consider truth,” she says. “Her guidance is what I hope to embody as a future training director and clinician educator at a medical center.”

Now, as an Arthur J. Schmitt Leadership Fellow, Harris is eager to expand her leadership capabilities and build connections across disciplines. “I look forward to identifying my strengths and areas of growth as a leader and to developing my skills in interdisciplinary collaboration,” she says. “This fellowship also gives me the opportunity to focus more deeply on my research and plan for the next steps in my career.”

For those considering applying for an Arthur J. Schmitt Leadership Fellowship, Harris advises connecting with former fellows, especially those within your own department. “The previous Arthur J. Schmitt Leadership Fellow from my department, Madeline Glawe, had a significant influence on me,” she notes. “She shared how transformative the fellowship was in her development as a leader and how much it helped her understand other fields of science.”

As she looks ahead, Harris hopes her work will leave a lasting impact on the field of psychology by improving the training of future clinicians and ensuring their work is grounded in critical reflection and a holistic understanding of the human experience.

Outside the classroom and research lab, Harris enjoys running, spending time with family and friends, caring for her poodle Stella, and watching documentaries from the mid to late 1900s.

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