By Tom Gresham

Diane Diaz says that her experiences, which have included personal grief, cultural displacement and military life, have formed the foundation of her academic interests.

Diaz, a doctoral student in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education with a concentration in counselor education and supervision, uses that background to spur her research into issues related to grief and trauma experienced by those in the military and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) populations. Diaz, who has a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling and a post-master’s certificate in addiction counseling, shared with VCU News what motivates her and why she believes that “rigorous research can still be profoundly compassionate.”

In two sentences, tell us the focus of your research... and why it is important/impactful for all of us.

My research explores the intersection of grief-pain and spirituality among BIPOC military service women, focusing on how these individuals cope with stress and loss in leadership roles within a historically patriarchal military system. This work is crucial because it has the potential to shape strength-based, culturally responsive interventions that can shift mental health outcomes and policy systems that have long marginalized women of color in uniform.

What inspired you to pursue this line of research?

My path to this work was shaped by personal loss and systemic neglect. After losing my 11-year-old son, Sergio, to cancer and witnessing the military system’s inability to provide adequate grief support, I experienced firsthand the consequences of poor cultural humility, stigma and fragmented mental health care. The subsequent loss of my cousin, a young Marine killed in action, further embedded my drive to explore grief, resilience and systemic change. As a counselor, mother to an active-duty officer and someone with lived military experience, this research is my advocacy in action – a direct response to a lifetime of witnessing grief, suffering and overlooked resilience.

Tell us about a surprise in your research journey.

One of the most surprising aspects of my journey has been the depth of internalized grief that many military women carry – grief that is often unnamed and invalidated. I coined the term “grief-pain” to describe the state of distress that manifests psychologically, spiritually, emotionally or physically following a loss or perceived loss. What surprised me was how many participants identified with this language, even before I formally introduced it. This insight affirmed the urgent need for new conceptual frameworks that name and normalize the nuanced suffering experienced by BIPOC military service women.

Tell us about an obstacle or challenge you had to overcome in your work.

The most pressing challenge has been navigating my doctoral journey as a nontraditional student with limited financial means. I began as a single parent to a child with special needs, a caregiver to aging parents and a professional who had to significantly scale back my private practice to meet the demands of academia; balancing these roles has tested my endurance and resolve. Financial strain – especially related to commuting, tuition and limited client load – remains a significant barrier. Yet, these challenges also sharpened my focus and reinforced my commitment to this work as necessary and transformative.

Is there a memorable partnership or lesson you’ve embraced along the way?

Yes. One particularly meaningful partnership has been with my advisor and mentor, Naomi Wheeler, Ph.D., an associate professor of counseling and special education, with whom I have had the privilege to serve as a graduate assistant for the Family and Community Empowerment Center and co-instructed a graduate-level course. Her mentorship not only has expanded my academic reach but also affirmed the value of integrating cultural humility practices personally and professionally into clinical and research practices. Through this partnership, I learned that rigorous research can still be profoundly compassionate, and that mentorship can be a healing force for personal and professional growth.

What do you find fulfilling about the research process?

I find fulfillment in research's ability to give voice to the unheard, language to the unseen and validation to those often forgotten. The qualitative process, especially, allows for a sacred encounter with participants’ lived truths. For me, research is not just academic – it's communal, spiritual, and liberating. It allows me to transform pain into purpose and theory into advocacy.

What advice would you offer undergrads to kick-start their own research journeys?

Start with your story. Your lived experiences, curiosities, and questions matter – they are worthy of academic exploration. Don’t wait until you feel like an expert; research is a process of becoming. Seek out mentors, stay curious and don’t underestimate the power of your voice to shape what we know and how we care. Most importantly, stay grounded in what makes you passionate – because research that starts from the heart tends to impact the world in lasting ways.