Lisa Coleman, Ph.D.

About

A distinguished scholar with a proven track record in academia and organizational stewardship, President Coleman’s career is marked by a relentless commitment to collaboration, multi-sector partnerships, and systemic equity. She has consistently driven initiatives at the intersection of innovation, diversity, and social impact.

President Coleman began her tenure as president of Adler University on Sept. 1, 2024, marking a new era of innovation and leadership for the institution. Her appointment as Adler University’s seventh president is historic, as she is both the first female and the first Black leader of the institution, a milestone that resonates deeply within the academic community. Founded in 1952 as the Institute of Adlerian Psychology, Adler gained university status in 2015, and President Coleman’s leadership is set to further elevate its mission of academic excellence and social impact.

Before joining Adler, President Coleman served as New York University’s (NYU) inaugural senior vice president for global inclusion and strategic innovation. She spearheaded initiatives that helped foster cultures of co-creation, inclusive leadership, and innovation grounded in research, student, faculty, and staff development, and alum collaborations. This work occurred across NYU’s expansive global network, including its flagship in Manhattan, two portal sites in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai, and numerous international sites and research centers.

At Harvard University, President Coleman also served in an inaugural role as the special assistant to the president and its first chief diversity officer. During her tenure, she and her team developed pioneering initiatives focused on technology and disability. Before her time at Harvard, she directed the Africana program at Tufts University and was later appointed as the first senior diversity officer reporting to the president.

President Coleman’s efforts to expand alum, donor, corporate, and foundation relationships and partnerships have contributed to some of the most expansive research and fundraising campaigns in higher education. Throughout her career, she has consistently demonstrated the capacity to launch innovative global initiatives by collaborating with students, faculty, staff, alum, and other partners to secure funding and drive philanthropic and grant-cultivation efforts, as well as to expand fiscal support for health-related programs, faculty and student research efforts, arts initiatives, and technology projects.

Over the past two decades, President Coleman has amassed many achievements across higher education, health care, and industry, and she has also been recognized nationally and internationally for her work with governmental systems, for-profit, and nonprofit organizations. Her early professional and research experience includes working with the Association of American Medical Colleges and Merrill Lynch, as an independent computer and data analytics consultant, and as an international organizational strategic consultant. She, in collaboration with her teams, has led culture change across multiple institutions, resulting in new research areas including, but not limited to, artificial intelligence, biomedicine, and arts and technology initiatives. President Coleman’s most recent academic work has focused on global leadership, generational literacy, and emerging technology and innovations. She also serves on various boards and committees, including the United Negro College Fund-NY Leadership Committee, American Repertory Theater Advisory Board, Sarah Lawrence College, ANA Educational Foundation, and Parity.Org.

President Coleman is an interdisciplinarian who earned her doctorate in Social and Cultural Analysis, American Studies from NYU, and her master’s degrees from the Ohio State University. Her academic work in African and African American Studies, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and Communication Studies is combined with additional certifications in Leadership and Intercultural Development Theory. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Sociology/Anthropology, focusing in Women’s Studies and Computer Science from Denison University.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, President Coleman is passionate about the arts, music, and travel. She enjoys photography, gardening, and cooking, and is currently taking flying lessons.

As she embarks on this new chapter with Adler University, President Coleman’s legacy of global leadership, innovation, collaboration, and social impact will continue to inspire and empower future generations of scholars, leaders, and changemakers.