Alexandra Pedersen (she/her) joined the McDonald Institute in 2019 as a Business Development Officer and is transitioning to a Manager, EDII Capacity Building role in 2023. Alex, as she prefers, earned a PhD in Human Geography (Queen’s University) and holds a Master’s in International Studies (University of Northern British Columbia). Her graduate research focused on Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous communities’ experiences with, and resistance to, imposed development. At the McDonald Institute, as part of the external relations teams, Alex builds new partnerships and nurtures existing collaborations. She co-developed a Diversity and Equity Assessment Planning Tool with the Human Rights and Equity Office (Queen’s) for Individual Researchers; a self-assessment guide and yearly planning activity for faculty in physics to increase their EDII skills and action in the labs and research spaces. Alex contributes to several EDII Committees at Queen’s University, in addition to acting as the co-treasurer for the Queen’s University Association for Queer Employees. Outside of her work roles, Alex is the President of the Limestone Beekeepers’ Guild, and can be found in her apiary buzzing with the bees.