Lisa M. Dinella, Ph.D.

Monmouth University
Professor of Psychology
Ph.D. in Child Development and Family Science from Arizona State University, 2004
Doctoral Collateral Area: Quantitative Statistics
Alumni Relations Coordinator
First Year Advisor

Contact Information:
Office: Howard Hall, Room 126
Phone: (732) 263-5295
Email: Ldinella@monmouth.edu
Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Lisa M. Dinella
Lisa M. Dinella, Ph.D. is a research scientist who investigates the connection between gender, academic achievement, and career development. Dr. Dinella studies children's toy play and media exposure, and how gendered experiences shape academic and career pursuits across the lifespan. She is a Professor of Psychology, the Director of the Program in Gender and Intersectionality Studies, and the Principal Investigator of the Gender Development Laboratory at Monmouth University. Her school-based research endeavors led to her edited book Conducting Science-Based Psychology Research in Schools and co-edited book Gender Typing of Children's Toys: How Early Play Experiences Impact Development. Dr. Dinella gave an invited address at the White House, Washington D.C. on gender disparities in children's toys and media. She is a consultant for Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, and works with global toy companies to help them reduce gender stereotypes for children. Her work has been featured on NPR and PBS.

Dr. Dinella's interest in psychology and gender studies started as an undergraduate at The College of New Jersey. Her training in conducting school-based empirical research began at the School of Family Dynamics at Arizona State University, where she received her master's and doctoral degrees in Family Science, with concentrations in Marriage and Family Therapy and Child Development. Additionally, she was an American Psychological Association/Institute of Education Sciences Postdoctoral Education Research Training Fellow.