Lisa Fontes

Lisa Fontes joined the UWW Department of Interdisciplinary Studies faculty in the Fall of 2009, after 17 years teaching in other highly regarded colleges and universities. Lisa speaks Spanish and Portuguese, and has worked extensively in Latin America, including a semester as a Fulbright Scholar in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Lisa is a national and international leader in the fields of child abuse and violence against women. She trains criminal justice, social work, and psychology professionals in Chile, Puerto Rico, and Guyana, as well as the U.S. She has also worked as a psychotherapist, and for a time directed a master’s program for school counselors.

Lisa has recently begun blogging for numerous publications including Psychology Today and The Huffington Post. She enjoys reaching out to a popular audience in this way.

Lisa is from New York City originally and has lived for more than twenty years in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts. As the mother of three adult children, Lisa knows how difficult it can be for UWW Interdisciplinary Studies students to balance their multiple responsibilities. She enjoys helping her students make their study plans, improve their writing, and achieve their dreams.

Educational Background

• B.A., Romance Languages & Literature, Cornell University
• M.S., Journalism, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
• M.A., Psychology, New York University
• Ph.D., Counseling Psychology, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Teaching and Research Interests

Cultural issues in child abuse and violence against women, cultural competence in mental health and social services, qualitative research, immigrant families, and writing.