Alexandra Rush • United States of America

Alexandra Rush, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Human Development at Empire State University. She is trained in developmental science, and her research explores how families and individuals build meaningful lives after war, with a focus on intergenerational trauma, resilience, and posttraumatic growth. She also investigates the development of identity and purpose in youth, approaching her work through qualitative and mixed-methods research that seeks to connect theory with lived experience.

She began her academic training at Douglass College of Rutgers University, where she majored in psychology and developed an early passion for studying human behavior and resilience. Graduate work at Long Island University provided further grounding in developmental theory and research methods. She later completed her doctorate in Family Science and Human Development at Montclair State University, where her dissertation examined how war trauma is transmitted across generations and how survivors and descendants construct new narratives of growth and adaptation.

While pursuing her doctorate, Alexandra worked with the Institute for Research on Youth Thriving and Evaluation at Montclair State University. She contributed to the Building Evidence in Scouting Together (BEST) study, investigating adult volunteer training and youth character development. She also examined how mentoring, program structures, and peer relationships foster the development of youth purpose within the scouting context.

At Empire State University, Alexandra integrates her research into teaching, emphasizing both scholarly rigor and personal meaning. Her courses span child development, human ecological systems, and the development of spirituality and wisdom. Before joining Empire State, she was a Visiting Assistant Professor at Dickinson College, where she studied the experiences of girls entering Scouts BSA, analyzing how access to traditionally male spaces influenced their identity and sense of purpose.

Alexandra Rush's publications include work in The Polish Review, the Journal of Adolescent Research, and the Journal of Youth Development. She has presented her findings at academic conferences and cultural institutes, including Columbia University and the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences. Outside academia, Alexandra draws on her background in dance and theatre, practices yoga, enjoys swimming and hiking, and finds inspiration in family, spirituality, and time spent outdoors.