Discrimination and health disparities. Intersectionality theory, racism and sexism, gendered racism. Minority stress and coping. Black mental health. Black women's health.

Dr. Jioni Lewis is an Associate Professor in the Counseling Psychology Program at the University of Maryland, College Park. Prior to joining the faculty at Maryland, she was an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Tennessee where she served as the co-founding director of the Critical Race Collective. Dr. Lewis earned her doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and completed her predoctoral psychology internship at the University of Maryland Counseling Center.

Dr. Lewis’s program of research examines the influence of discrimination on the mental and physical health of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Her research explores two interrelated areas: (1) the intersection of racism and sexism experienced by women of color, and (2) the influence of subtle forms of racism experienced by BIPOC college students. Her primary area of research applies intersectionality theory to investigate the influence of racism and sexism on Black women. Within this line of research, Dr. Lewis developed the Gendered Racial Microaggressions Scale (Lewis & Neville, 2015), which is a self-report instrument to measure subtle gendered racism. In addition, she investigates the influence of gendered racism on mental health (depression, anxiety, traumatic stress) and physical health (self-reported physical health, salivary cortisol) among Black women. She also examines resistance, healing, and protective factors that buffer individuals against the negative effects of gendered racism, such as collective coping strategies, gendered racial identity, and radical healing. Dr. Lewis’s secondary line of research utilizes qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods to investigate the influence of racism and microaggressions on the mental health and well-being of BIPOC college students.

Dr. Lewis has received several national awards for her research and scholarship, including the 2019 Emerging Professional Contributions to Research Award from the Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race (APA Division 45), the 2020 Best in Science Address from the Society of Counseling Psychology (APA Division 17), and the 2020 Emerging Leader for Women in Psychology Award from the Committee on Women in Psychology. She is also the current President of the Society for the Psychology of Women (APA Division 35), Section I (Psychology of Black Women). Dr. Lewis also serves as a consulting editor for the Journal of Counseling Psychology, Psychology of Women Quarterly, and Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology. Dr. Lewis’s research, teaching, and advocacy have been grounded in her passion and commitment to social justice and equity. As a counseling psychologist, she is committed to engaging in social justice research that seeks to dismantle systems of oppression and improve the health and well-being of marginalized individuals and communities.

Antibigotry Fellow, Center for Antiracist Research, Boston University, 2021 - 2022

  • ​​​​The Counseling Psychologist (TCP) Outstanding Paper Award, 2021
  • Emerging Leader for Women in Psychology, American Psychological Association, Committee on Women in Psychology, 2020
  • Best in Science Award, American Psychological Association, Society of Counseling Psychology (Div. 17), 2020
  • Social Justice Award, American Psychological Association, Society of Counseling Psychology (Div. 17), 2020
  • Emerging Professional Contributions to Research Award, American Psychological Association, Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race (Div. 45), 2019
  • Rising Star Early Career Award, National Multicultural Conference and Summit, American Psychological Association, 2019
  • Diversity Leadership Award, College of Arts & Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2018
  • Charles and Shirley Thomas Mentoring Award, American Psychological Association, Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race (Div. 45), 2018
  • Institute for Academic Feminist Psychologists Scholar, American Psychological Association, Society for the Psychology of Women (Div. 35), 2018
  • Interdepartmental Collaborative Research Award, College of Arts & Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2017
  • Woman to Woman in Education Award, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Nu Zeta Chapter, 2017
  • Outstanding Contribution to Scholarship on Race and Ethnicity Award, American Psychological Association, Society of Counseling Psychology (Div. 17), 2016
  • Women of Color Psychologies Research Award, Association for Women in Psychology, 2016
  • Junior Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award, College of Arts & Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2015
  • Carolyn Payton Early Career Professional Award, American Psychological Association, Society of the Psychology of Women (Div. 35), 2015
  • Faculty Graduate Education Award, Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2015
  • Janet Hyde Graduate Student Research Grant, American Psychological Association, Society for the Psychology of Women (Div. 35), 2012
  • Section on Ethnic and Racial Diversity Student Award, American Psychological Association, Society of Counseling Psychology (Div. 17), 2011
  • Psychology Summer Institute Fellow, American Psychological Association, Minority Fellowship Program, 2011                           
  • Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship Honorable Mention, 2011
  • William Chandler Bagley Doctoral Scholarship, University of Illinois, 2011      
  • Conference Student Scholarship, Teachers College Winter Roundtable on Cultural Psychology and Education, 2010
  • Conference Student Scholarship, American Psychological Association, Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race (Div. 45), 2010
  • University of Illinois List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students, 2008 – 2012
  • President’s First Place Award for Outstanding Student Poster in Experimental Research on Ethnic Minority Issues, American Psychological Association (Div. 45), 2007
  • Graduate College Fellowship, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006
  • Summer Pre-Doctoral Institute Fellowship, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006
  • Sally Casanova Pre-doctoral Fellowship, California State University System, 2005
  • Graduate Equity Fellowship, California State University, Sacramento, 2005
  • Sacramento Valley Psychological Association Scholarship Award, 2005

Peer-Reviewed Articles (*denotes student co-author)

Lewis, J. A. (in press). #SayHerName: The impact of gendered racism and misogynoir on the lives of Black women. In K. O. Cokley (Ed.), Making Black Lives Matter: Confronting Anti-Black Racism. Cognella Academic Publishing.

Lewis, J. A., & Gadson, C. A. (in press). Applying intersectionality theory to school psychology: Implications for research, training, and practice.

Watson-Singleton, N. N., Lewis, J. A., & Dworkin, E. R. (2021). Toward a socially just diversity science: Using intersectional mixed methods research to center multiply marginalized Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000477

*Gadson, C. A., & Lewis, J. A. (2021). Devalued, overdisciplined, and stereotyped: An exploration of gendered racial microaggression among Black adolescent girls. Journal of Counseling Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000571

Choi, S., Weng, S., Park, H., Lewis, J. A., Harwood, S. A., Mendenhall, R., & Browne Huntt, M. (2021). Sense of belonging, racial microaggressions, and depressive symptoms among students of Asian descent in the United States. Smith College Studies in Social Work, doi: 10.1080/00377317.2021.1882922

*Williams, M. G., & Lewis, J. A. (2021). Developing a conceptual framework of Black women’s gendered racial identity development. Psychology of Women Quarterly. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361684320988602

*Wright, L. N., & Lewis, J. A. (2020). Is physical activity a buffer? Gendered racial microaggressions and anxiety among African American women. Journal of Black Psychology, 46(2-3), 122-143. doi:10.1177/0095798420929112 

Hage, S. M., Miles, J. R., Lewis, J. A., Grzanka, P. R., & Goodman, L. A. (2020). The social justice practicum in psychology training. Training and Education in Professional Practice, 14(2), 156-166. https://doi.org/10.1037/tep0000299

Lewis, J. A., Cameron, R. P., Kim-Ju, G., & Meyers, L. S. (2020). Examining the relations between racial identity and coping with race-related stress among African American, Asian American, and Latinx college students. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 48, 108-119. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmcd.12169

Mosley, D. V., Neville, H. A., Chavez-Dueñas, N. Y., Adames, H. Y., Lewis, J. A., & French, B. H. (2020). Radical hope in revolting times: Proposing a culturally-relevant psychological framework. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 14(1), e12512. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12512

French, B. H., Lewis, J. A., Mosley, D., Adames, H. Y., Chavez-Dueñas, N. Y., Chen, G. A. & Neville, H. A. (2020). Toward a psychological framework of radical healing in communities of color. The Counseling Psychologist. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000019843506

Lewis, J. A., Mendenhall, R., *Ojiemwen, A., *Thomas, M., *Riopelle, C., Harwood, S., & Browne Huntt, M. (2019). Racial microaggressions and sense of belonging at a historically White university. American Behavioral Scientist. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764219859613

Watson, L., Lewis, J. A., & *Moody, A. T. (2019). A sociocultural examination of Black women and body image. Body Image, 31, 380-387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2019.03.008

*Williams, M., G. & Lewis, J. A. (2019). Gendered racial microaggressions and depressive symptoms among Black women: A moderated mediation model. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 43(3), 368-380. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361684319832511

*Moody, A., & Lewis, J. A. (2019). Gendered racial microaggressions and traumatic stress symptoms among Black women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 43(2), 201-214. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361684319828288

Lewis, J. A., Raque-Bogdan, T. L., Lee, S., & Rao, M. A. (2018). Examining the influence of ethnic identity and meaning in life on career decision-making self-efficacy. Journal of Career Development, 45(1), 68-82. doi: 10.1177/0894845317696803

Lewis, J. A., *Williams, M. G., *Peppers, E., & *Gadson, C. A. (2017). Applying intersectionality to explore the relations between gendered racism and health among Black women. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 64(5), 475-486. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cou0000231

*Choi, S., Lewis, J. A., Harwood, S. A., Mendenhall, R., & Browne-Huntt, M. (2017). Is ethnic identity a buffer? Exploring the relations between racial microaggressions and depressive symptoms among Asian American individuals. Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work, 26(1-2), 18-29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15313204.2016.1263815

Lewis, J. A., Mendenhall, R., Harwood, S., & Browne-Huntt, M. (2016). “Ain’t I a Woman?” Exploring gendered racial microaggressions experienced by Black women. The Counseling Psychologist, 44(5), 758–780. doi: 10.1177/0011000016641193

Szymanski, D. M. & Lewis, J. A. (2016). Gendered racism, coping, identity centrality, and African American college women’s psychological distress. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 40(2), 229-243. doi: 10.1177/0361684315616113

Lewis, J. A. & Neville, H. A. (2015). Construction and initial validation of the gendered racial microaggressions scale for Black women. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 62(2), 289-302. doi:10.1037/cou0000062

Szymanski, D. M. & Lewis, J. A. (2015). Race-related stress and racial identity as predictors of African American activism. Journal of Black Psychology, 41(2), 170-191. doi:10.1177/0095798414520707

Neville, H. A., Poteat, V. P., Lewis, J. A., & Spanierman, L. B. (2014). Changes in White college students’ color-blind racial ideology over four years: Do diversity experiences make a difference? Journal of Counseling Psychology, 61(2), 179-190. doi:10.1037/a0035168

Lewis, J. A., Mendenhall, R., Harwood, S. A., & Browne Huntt, M. (2013). Coping with gendered racial microaggressions among Black women college students. Journal of African American Studies, 17(1), 51–73. doi:10.1007/s12111-012-9219-0

French, B. H., Lewis, J. A., & Neville, H. A. (2013). Naming and reclaiming: An interdisciplinary analysis of Black girls’ and women’s resistance strategies. Journal of African American Studies, 17(1), 1–6. doi:10.1007/s12111-012-9215-4

Lewis, J. A., Neville, H. A., & Spanierman, L.B. (2012). Examining the influence of campus diversity experiences and color-blind racial ideology on students’ social justice attitudes. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 49(2), 119–136. doi:10.1515/jsarp-2012-6291

Harwood, S. A., Browne Huntt, M., Mendenhall, R., & Lewis, J. A. (2012). Racial microaggressions in the residence halls: Experiences of students of color at a predominantly White university. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 5(3), 159–173. doi:10.1037/a0028956

Book Chapters

Lewis, J. A. *Williams, M. G., *Moody, A. T., *Peppers, E. P., & *Gadson, C. A. (2018). Intersectionality theory and microaggressions: Implications for research, teaching, and practice. In C. M. Capodilupo, K. L. Nadal, D. P. Rivera, D. W. Sue, & G. C. Torino (Eds.), Microaggression Theory: Influence and Implications (pp. 48-64). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Lewis, J. A. (2018). From modern sexism to gender microaggressions: Understanding contemporary forms of sexism and the impact on diverse women. In C. Travis & J. White (Eds.), APA Handbook of the Psychology of Women: Vol 1 (pp. 381-397). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Lewis, J. A. & Grzanka, P. R. (2016). Applying intersectionality theory to research on perceived racism.  In A. N. Alvarez, C. T. H. Liang, & H. A. Neville (Eds.), The Cost of Racism for People of Color: Contextualizing Experiences of Discrimination. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Neville, H. A., Spanierman, L. B., & Lewis, J. A. (2012). The expanded psychosocial model of racism:  A new model for understanding and disrupting racism and white privilege. In N. A. Fouad, J. A. Carter, & L. M. Subich (Eds.), APA Handbook of Counseling Psychology: Vol. 2 Practice, Interventions, and Applications (pp. 333-360). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

External

  • National Science Foundation, ADVANCE Grant. Role: Co-I (PI: Dr. Veerle Keppens, University of Tennessee, Knoxville); $713,763 (2018 – 2021)
  • Cultural Competency Grant, Knox County Schools. Role: Co-I (PI: Dr. Chonika Coleman-King, University of Tennessee, Knoxville); $950,398 (2018 – 2020)
  • American Psychological Foundation, Division 17 Counseling Psychology Grant. Role: PI; $1,000 (2017)
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH), Health Disparities Loan Repayment Program (LRP) Grant; Role: PI; $70,000 (2014 – 2016)

Internal

University of Tennessee

  • Student/Faculty Research Award Grant, The Graduate School, University of Tennessee. Role: PI (Co-PI: Erica Peppers); $5,000 (2020)
  • Student/Faculty Research Award Grant, The Graduate School, University of Tennessee. Role: PI (Co-PI: Anahvia Moody); $2,680 (2019)
  • Faculty Research Support Grant, Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee; $3,000 (2019)
  • Chancellor’s Grant for Faculty Research, Office of Research and Engagement, University of Tennessee; $6,000 (2019)
  • Student/Faculty Research Grant, The Graduate School, University of Tennessee. Role: PI (Co-PI: Erica Peppers); $4,671 (2017)
  • Creative Teaching Grant, University of Tennessee; $3,500 (2015)

University of Illinois

  • College of Education Conference Travel Grant; University of Illinois; $700 (2013)
  • College of Education Hardie Dissertation Grant; University of Illinois; $2,000 (2011)
  • Survey Research Robert Ferber Dissertation Grant; University of Illinois; $1,000 (2011)
  • College of Education Hardie Conference Travel Grant; University of Illinois; $1,000 (2011)
  • President's Research in Diversity Travel Grant; University of Illinois; $500 (2011)
  • College Research Committee Travel Support Grant; University of Illinois; $1,000 (2010)
  • Center on Democracy in a Multiracial Society Research Fellowship; University of Illinois; $6,000 (2009)