Dr. Swayze was a first-gen college student. A native of California, Susan attended Washington and Lee University as part of the second class of women, graduating with honors. Directly after college, Susan attended UCLA where she earned a Ph.D. in 1995 – nine years of graduating high school. In 2004, Susan earned an MBA from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business.
Dr. Swayze is an expert researcher and teaches doctoral-level courses in mixed methods, case study, statistics, and qualitative research. Dr. Swayze has published or presented more than 100 scholarly works including peer-reviewed journal articles, reference volumes, book chapters, and conference presentations. She is also a sought-after speaker in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
In 2020, Susan leveraged her 25 years of professional experience and founded Diversity Think Tank – a knowledge and consulting firm – that utilizes research and the strategic planning process to help small and mid-sized organizations achieve audacious goals.