Get to Know Your Student Committee: Alexandra Lugo, Clinical Liaison

We asked the members of the 2021-2022 Student Committee to answer some questions about themselves to help you get to know who they are and what they do.

What is your school, program & year? Fifth-year Ph.D. student in Clinical Psychology at Palo Alto University.

Why psychology and the law? I have had a longstanding interest in the role of culture in disparities within and between the mental health care and legal systems. Relatedly, a number of experiences contributed to a drive to understand the ways in which trauma responses and mental health problems are often criminalized. I thought the best way to study and address these issues was through graduate training at the intersection of psychology and law.

If you could only watch 3 movies or tv shows over and over for the rest of your life, what would they be and why? Lost, Law and Order SVU, and The Office. Those are probably my go-to shows because they are familiar, but I also always pick up on new clues or jokes.

Is cereal soup? Not unless you cook it, and I don't want to think about that.

What is a quote you like and who said it? “Feminist thinking teaches us all, especially, how to love justice and freedom in ways that foster and affirm life.” - bell hooks

What is your favorite thing about your current graduate program? The faculty! I have been fortunate enough to work with several professors who have supported and facilitated both my personal and professional growth.

If you were not in graduate school what would you do? I would probably have gone into health care. I have a number of family members who are physicians and nurses, so I very much grew up in a culture of people in the helping professions.

If you could invite five people (dead or alive) to a dinner party, who would it be and why? Simone de Beauvoir, Gloria Jean Watkins (bell hooks), Elizabeth Blackwell, Frida Kahlo, and Michael Tubbs. They are all, in my view, individuals who have fought against social injustices on both personal and professional fronts.

What advice do you have for those applying to graduate school? Apply only to programs that you think would be a good fit for you, but think broadly about what that could mean in terms of research interests, clinical training opportunities, faculty mentorship styles, and culture of the program and location.
​
What’s the best Wi-Fi name you’ve seen? Dug the Dog. It's a Wi-Fi network that's been in my neighborhood for several years, but I have yet to come across a dog named Dug here.

---