Jem Lugo is proud to serve as the HR and Talent Manager at Equitas Academy. Prior to joining Equitas, she managed Human Resources functions in small to mid-size companies in a variety of industries including healthcare, technology, music education, and media broadcasting. She aims to help foster trust-driven relationships throughout an employee’s lifecycle in order to find and strengthen the best possible team to support Equitas scholars. Being a first-generation college student, Jem has always been passionate about the power of education, demonstrated by her experience teaching liberal arts summer courses to high school students in Japan and her doctorate-level academic coursework in positive organizational psychology with a focus on diversity and inclusion. Jem received her MA in Organizational Behavior and Evaluation from Claremont Graduate University, and her BA in Social and Cognitive Neuroscience from Harvard University.

In her free time, Jem enjoys creating immersive experiences with her art collective, exploring new places and trying new things, going on adventures with her friends, and spending time with her dog, Totoro. She is excited to be able to utilize her HR skills and background to help support accessible, inclusive, and empowering education at Equitas.