Mentoring. Persistence. Inclusion.

Becky Wai-Ling Packard is Professor of Psychology and Education at Mount Holyoke College.

Packard is an expert on mentoring, persistence, and inclusive climate, where she focuses on the experiences of first-generation college students, students of color, low-income students, and community college transfer students, women in technical fields. A multi-racial, first-generation college graduate,  she has particular expertise in STEM fields of work and transitions into higher education and work.

The winner of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor awarded by the federal government, Packard has earned and completed National Science Foundation research grants focused on technical and community college transfer pathways, a Google-funded initiative on inclusive peer mentoring in computer science, and a Microsoft-funded initiative focused on mentoring for tech resilience. 

She works with individuals (e.g., faculty, staff, advisors, mentors, department chairs, and supervisors) to improve the power of mentoring, advising, and teaching, navigate difficult conversations, and improve departmental climate; she also works with organizations to strengthen the mentoring infrastructure and organizational climate. In 2016, Packard completed a Whiting Fellowship in Ireland focused on policy change; in a 2018, she served as a Chancellor’s Leadership Fellow in Residence at UMass Amherst; during the 2018-2019 year, she served as a Faculty Fellow at the University of Michigan. She has visited over 70 campuses to work on these topics.

Recent Activity:

Speaking Engagements with: MIT, Marion Technical, Ohio Wesleyan, State of CT Teaching and Learning, UC-Santa Barbara, Univ of Hawaii-Manoa, Univ of Miami, Emory, Georgetown, Lilly Teaching Conference in Austin, TX

[download Packard cv Jan 15 2021]

bpackard(at)mtholyoke.edu