Marla White

Biography

Marla L. White’s research interests include leadership, intersectionality, discrimination, and diversity management. Her research explores the workplace experiences of marginalized groups, particularly women and people of color. She is especially interested in how these experiences intersect with social class and access to leadership opportunities. Her work is deeply informed by her own journey as a woman of color in tech, driving her commitment to fostering more equitable work environments. She is developing a research pipeline targeting top-tier management journals, with recent publications in outlets such as Human Resource Management Review and the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology.

Before transitioning to academia, Marla’s foundation and passion for the tech industry had already sparked over two decades of experience in the semiconductor industry, where she held leadership positions with global responsibilities in engineering, finance, operations, and HRM at several Fortune 500 companies, including Motorola, IBM, and Texas Instruments. Her extensive experience in tech has shaped her unique perspective on leadership, diversity, and inclusion.

With a diverse educational background that includes a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington, a Master of Science in Management and Administrative Sciences from the University of Texas at Dallas, an MBA from Clark Atlanta University, and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Arizona, Marla combines her technical expertise with her management research.

Marla is an active member of several professional organizations, including the Academy of Management, the Southern Management Association, the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and the Management Faculty of Color Association, where she contributes as a reviewer and engages in discussions.