ADINA LUNDY
Director
Providence,RI
Summary
Experienced, equity-driven educational leader with deep knowledge of federal and state laws, college and career readiness best practices, and K–12 systems improvement. Holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership and brings executive-level experience advancing inclusive policy, instructional coherence, and student support frameworks. Demonstrated ability to lead districtwide initiatives that close opportunity gaps while ensuring compliance, accountability, and excellence. Seeks an Assistant Superintendent role in a district committed to equitable outcomes and postsecondary success for all students.
Moreover, Dr. Lundy is the associate director of undergraduate psychology at a small New England Institution. A leading authority on the lasting effects of chattel slavery on poverty and the contemporary structure of the Black family; she brings deep historical insight and interdisciplinary expertise to her work as an expert witness for the Public Defender’s Office of the New Jersey Family Court, a professor, and a multiculturalism scholar.
A dedicated researcher on racism and systemic inequity, Dr. Lundy’s work focuses on how structural barriers—including the lack of social capital, institutional bias, and uneven resource allocation—impact both students of color and faculty of color. Her scholarship illuminates how these inequities limit opportunity, influence academic pathways, and contribute to long-term disparities across disciplines.
Through her research, workshops (with institutions such as Duke Medical school and the New Jersey Judiciary) testimony, and community advocacy, Dr. Lundy provides critical expertise at the intersection of history, policy, and lived experience, advancing efforts to create equitable systems and strengthen outcomes for children, families, and people of color.
Dr. Lundy’s research program centers the experiences of marginalized populations seeking to improve their socioeconomic status, with a particular focus on the transformative role of social capital and the strategic engagement of white allies committed to meaningful, equity-driven change. Her work interrogates how access to education, resources, and informed accomplices shapes the trajectories of communities striving for liberation and opportunity.
Grounded in qualitative inquiry, Dr. Lundy employs phenomenological methods rooted in community building, relational trust, and deep listening. Her approach prioritizes participants’ lived experiences as essential sources of knowledge, informing policy recommendations and institutional practices.
Dr. Lundy is currently conducting research with Dr. Hans Saint-Eloi Cadely titled Disentangling the Risk: Foster Care as a Precursor to Criminal Justice Involvement. This project investigates the pathways that connect state care to later contact with the criminal justice system, aiming to illuminate systemic vulnerabilities, identify points of intervention, and contribute to long-term institutional change.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Adjunct Professor of Strategic Fiscal Leadership in EL/SEC Education, EdD Program
Johnson and Wales University
12.2025 - Current
- Facilitated classroom discussions to encourage critical thinking and collaboration among doctoral students leaders
- Assessed student performance through assignments, exams, and feedback mechanisms.
- Mentored students in academic and career planning, promoting their professional development.
Expert Witness
Office of the Public Defender, Family Court New Jersey
04.2024 - Current
- Perform comprehensive psychological assessments of children and parents involved in family law cases including interviews, observations, and review of relevant documents
- Wrote detailed reports summarizing findings including opinions and recommendations to reunify families and stem generational poverty and generational foster care
- I utilize my scholarship on poverty, opportunity, and oppression to humanize families, stop the criminalization of poverty and stem family separation
Associate Director, Program in Undergraduate Psychology & Assistant Teaching Professor Department of Psychology
University of Rhode Island
01.2024 - Current
- Leading all facets of the undergraduate program to include supervising doctoral and master’s candidates
- Onboard and train and supervise 100 undergraduate TAs, graduate TAs and peer Advisors yearly
- Faculty Advisor, Psychology Honor Society, Psychology Club, and National Society of Collegiate Scholars (serving 1200 undergraduate majors)
- Serve on IRB Committee and Curriculum Committee
- Develop and deliver career workshops
- Member undergraduate awards ceremony committee
- Collaborate with clerical staff to support the graduation efforts of students
- Dissertation committee member
- Member Faculty Senate
- R1 Carnegie designation, Enrollment exceeds 17,000
Teaching Professor
University of Rhode Island
06.2021 - Current
- Developed and delivered engaging curriculum for undergraduates
- Mentored diverse student groups, fostering academic growth and critical thinking skills.
- Conducted research on innovative teaching methods, enhancing student learning outcomes.
- Collaborated with faculty to design interdisciplinary programs supporting academic excellence.
- Serve on dissertation committees
- Serve on search committees
- Serve on curriculum committees
Post-Doctoral Fellowship in College Leadership, The President’s Office
Essex County College
08.2024 - 05.2025
- Utilized my prior research on college completion best practices to build programs within the community college.
- Attended presidential meetings to gain understanding of the president’s multifaceted role.
- Led strategic initiatives to enhance academic programs and student services.
- Cultivated strong relationships with external partners to foster collaboration and maximize resources.
- Inspired innovation by creating an environment that encouraged creative thinking and problem-solving capabilities.
Co-director, Program in Undergraduate Psychology & Assistant Teaching Professor Department of Psychology
University of Rhode Island
08.2023 - 12.2023
- Deliver Baccalaureate-level Psychology courses to sections of 150 students: Multicultural Psychology, Historical Systems of Psychology, Women and Psychology, Human Development.
- Faculty Search Committee Member Department of Psychology; Behavioral Sciences (April 2023 to June 2023)
- Reported to Chair of Graduate Psychology Collaborated on candidate strengths.
- Conducted interviews as part of the team.
- Extrapolated fitness of each candidate to university culture
- Co-directed facets of administrative support for the program in undergraduate psychology
- Co-led cross-functional faculty teams to enhance academic program development and implementation for 1000 student class
Lecturer in Psychology, College of Social Sciences
Essex County College
09.2019 - 12.2021
- Deliver Associate-level Psychology courses
- Developed and implemented engaging curriculum for diverse student populations.
- Facilitated interactive lectures utilizing multimedia tools to enhance learning experiences.
- Conducted assessments to evaluate student performance, ensuring alignment with academic standards.
Academic Advisor, Education Opportunity Fund
Essex County College
05.2018 - 09.2019
- Created access and educational equity within the community college space by students at a college Intervention program on effective academic persistence and career planning
- Promoted belonging while building identity through student workshops, career fairs, and information sessions
- Provided outreach that reduced attrition by enhancing student development, improved quality of learning environment, served individuals with unique needs which lead to retention of high-risk students.
- Referred students for evaluative tests, recommended appropriate programming to promote retention
- Served as liaison between the Advisory Center and the broader college community.
- Audited and analyzed student records to determine progress toward academic requirements and baccalaureate degree completion
- Interpreted and enforced college rules and regulations. Worked with other university offices and schools to ensure consistent judgments on academic requirements, program transfer, student probation, dismissal, as well as best practices that promote retention.
- Reduced attrition by 18%
- Led initiatives to streamline advising processes, improving efficiency in service delivery.
Academic Liaison
Court Appointed Special Advocates Office, Family Court, Newark, NJ
10.2015 - 01.2017
- Provide academic support while creating access to the higher education space for children in foster care by coordinating standardized test resources, culling financial records, coordinating class registration, processing housing, book, and transportation resources.
- Facilitate equity through learning and development by teaching and promoting effective organization, time management, studying, note-taking, and test-taking skills for children in foster care.
- Liaise with Family Court administrators, Federal Student Aid, and college admissions administrators on behalf of populations facing poverty, housing instability, family separation, and first-generation issues.
- Served as a liaison between school personnel and families regarding child-specific concerns or academic performance issues.
Education
EdD - Higher Education Leadership
University of Hartford
HartfordM.A. - Psychology
Harvard University
CambridgeSkills
- Student Recruitment and Retention
- Student advising
- Curriculum Development
- Classroom management
- Certified in online teaching
- Multidisciplinary instruction
- Community Engagement
- Public Speaking
- Workshop Development
- Workshop facilitation
- Research Design and Data Analysis
- Diversity awareness
- MS Excel, Starfish, Banner, Blackboard, Canvas, Adobe
- Skilled in enhancing organizational visibility and stakeholder engagement through social media and digital communications training
Affiliations
- American Psychological Association
- National Association for the Education of Young Children
- New Jersey Judiciary
- Harvard University Alumni Association
- American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
- National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity
Certification
2025, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Administrator, Assistant Superintendent, Superintendent | All Levels, Provisional
Timeline
Adjunct Professor of Strategic Fiscal Leadership in EL/SEC Education, EdD Program
Johnson and Wales University
12.2025 - Current
Post-Doctoral Fellowship in College Leadership, The President’s Office
Essex County College
08.2024 - 05.2025
Expert Witness
Office of the Public Defender, Family Court New Jersey
04.2024 - Current
Associate Director, Program in Undergraduate Psychology & Assistant Teaching Professor Department of Psychology
University of Rhode Island
01.2024 - Current
Co-director, Program in Undergraduate Psychology & Assistant Teaching Professor Department of Psychology
University of Rhode Island
08.2023 - 12.2023
Teaching Professor
University of Rhode Island
06.2021 - Current
Lecturer in Psychology, College of Social Sciences
Essex County College
09.2019 - 12.2021
Academic Advisor, Education Opportunity Fund
Essex County College
05.2018 - 09.2019
Academic Liaison
Court Appointed Special Advocates Office, Family Court, Newark, NJ
10.2015 - 01.2017
M.A. - Psychology
Harvard University
EdD - Higher Education Leadership
University of Hartford
Faculty Appointments
- Johnson and Wales University, Providence, RI, Adjunct Professor of Strategic Fiscal Leadership in EL/SEC Education, EdD Program, 2025-12-01
- University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, Associate Director, Program in Undergraduate Psychology & Assistant Teaching Professor Department of Psychology, 2021-06-01, Co-director, Program in Undergraduate Psychology & Assistant Teaching Professor Department of Psychology, 2023-08-01, 2024-05-01, Assistant Teaching Professor, Department of Psychology, 2021-06-01, 2024-05-01
- Essex County College, 303 University Avenue, Newark, New Jersey, 07109, Post-Doctoral Fellowship in College Leadership, The President’s Office, 2024-08-01, 2025-05-01
- Essex County College, 303 University Avenue, Newark, New Jersey, 07109, Lecturer in Psychology, College of Social Sciences, 2019-09-01, 2021-12-01
- Essex County College, 303 University Avenue, Newark, New Jersey, 07109, Academic Advisor, Education Opportunity Fund, 2018-05-01, 2019-09-01
Philanthropy
Court Appointed Special Advocates Office, Family Court, Newark, NJ, Academic Liaison, 2015-10-01, 2017-01-01
Research Interests
My research intersects the long-term implications of systemic inequity and poverty vis a vis Bourdieu’s frameworks of Social and Cultural Capital. Utilizing a phenomenological and mixed methods approach I seek etiology concerning college access, equity in k-12 settings, college persistence, and college degree completion for the child raised in poverty.
Accepted Conference Presentations
- The Money is There but Services Fail to Meet and Serve the Foster Child, New England Educational Research Organization (NEERO) Conference, Trumbull, CT, 2021-01-01
- An Examination of the Educational Trajectory of Foster Care Survivors, The New Jersey Children in Court and Race Equity Education Conference, Newark, NJ, 2024-01-01
Public Speaking
Hope From the Edge, TEDx URI, A Recipe for Hope in the Spirit of Ideas Worth Spreading, Kinston, RI, 2022-01-01
Books
- Lundy, A., 2026, Human Development for the Real World: Applying Research to Everyday Life, Kendall Hunt Textbooks
- Lundy, A., 2025, So, You’re on Your Own: Guided Self Help for Adults With Foster Care Experience, Kendall Hunt Imprint
- Lundy, A. & Boatright, S., 2025, Developing Understanding of Psychological Concepts, Kendall Hunt Textbooks
- Lundy, A., 2024, Broadening Our Multicultural Lens, Cognella Textbooks
- Lundy, A., 2024, The Psychological Perspectives of Chicano and LatinX Populations, Cognella Textbooks
Works In Progress
- Alcohol Expectancies in Young Adults at the Intersection of Race/Ethnicity and Gender, in progress
- Disentangling the Risks: Foster Care Experience as a Precursor to Criminal Justice Involvement, A Phenomenological Study, in progress
- The Effects of School Policing and Surveillance on Student Mental Health and Achievement, in progress
- The Long-Term Impact of Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy, in progress
- Teacher Well-Being, Retention, and the Emotional Labor of Education, in progress
Professional Organization Memberships
- American Psychological Association, 2021-01-01
- Harvard University Alumni Association, 2019-01-01
- Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society, 2018-01-01, 2022-01-01
- National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity, 2022-01-01
- Psi Chi International Honor Society in Psychology, 2022-01-01
- National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2025-01-01
Board Memberships
Roots & Wings New Jersey; A Nonprofit in Support of those who have Foster Care Experience, 2023-01-01
Personal Information
Title: Adjunct Professor of Strategic Fiscal Leadership
Publications
- Lundy, A., 2022, An historical narrative of the educational trajectory of the child raised in state care., Creative Education, 13, 08, 2401-2416, https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2022.138152
- Lundy, A., 2022, An Examination of the Educational Trajectory of Foster Care Alumni Regarding the Social Capital Held by Their Foster Parents, Doctoral dissertation, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global
- Lundy, A., 2025, Broadening Our Multicultural Lens, 1st ed., Cognella
- Lundy, A., 2025, Faculty, yet Unrecognized: Black Women, Pedagogical Authority, and Everyday Surveillance in Higher Education, Advances in Applied Sociology, 15, 11, 1191-1199, https://doi.org/10.4236/aasoci.2025.1511068
- Lundy, A., The Psychological Perspectives of LatinX and Chicano Populations, 1st ed., Cognella
- Lundy, A. & Boatright, S. L., 2025, Understanding Psychological Concepts, 1st ed., Kendall Hunt
- Lundy, A., Burrell, D. N., McCargo, T., Lima, F. M., Harris, N., Eke, H., & Prunella, K., 2025, Understanding the Psychology of Pregnancy Discrimination as a Challenging Woman’s Mental Health Workplace Dynamic, Research Association for Interdisciplinary Studies, 211-230
- Lundy, A. & Shifman, D., 2024, The long-term implications of transracial adoption and its effect on identity development and social adaptation, SSRN
Workshops Delivered
- An Examination of the Educational Trajectory of Foster Care Survivors, The 2024 Children in Court Race Equity Conference, 2024-03-11
- Building Bias Free Practices and Inclusive Communities, Duke University Medical School Head and Neck Surgery, 2024-03-13
- Developmental Intergroup Theory; Understanding the Implications of Our In-Group Bias, South Orange, Maplewood School District, 2022-11-17