Professor Packard is an expert on mentoring, motivation, and identity. She studies the persistence of women, minorities, and first-generation college students in non-traditional fields such as science and technology fields; how students can maximize their access to mentoring; and how young people from low-income backgrounds, especially urban ethnic minority students, strive to pursue higher education in many forms and participate in science and technology fields. Ultimately, she aims to identify success strategies that support motivation and turn aspirations into realities.

Her work is supported by the National Science Foundation by the CAREER and GSE programs.

In June 2005, she met President Bush at the White House and received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government upon early-career scientists and engineers. 

She collaborates with schools, community organizations, colleges and businesses. In addition, she designs, coordinates, and evaluates mentoring programs. Frequently, she is a speaker on the topics of mentoring, motivation, and identity.