About Lisa

CONTACT INFO

Lisa D'Adamo-Weinstein, Visiting Associate Professor

SUNY Empire State University

Please feel free to contact me at my Empire State University e-mail address: Lisa.D’Adamo-Weinstein@sunyempire.edu

Find me on Social Media: LinkedIn, Instagram, Wordpress (lisadw.com)

Personal Statement

I am an artist, author, muralist, and faculty member (arts and media) at SUNY Empire State University. My interest and engagement in the arts is multidisciplinary and heavily influenced by storytelling and nature. As a photographer, muralist, and digital storyteller, I explore the world through a lens of bold colors and the transformative power of narrative. My artistic practice often centers on macro and bokeh techniques—using light and shadow to bring overlooked details into focus. This visual philosophy deeply mirrors my professional approach to mentoring and student success: finding the unique story within the larger picture.

I am a storyteller in both writing and images. I seek out the unexpected. As a lifelong learner, I am always looking to hone my artistic and academic crafts, continuing to grow, embracing change, and relishing the joy of serendipity that helps me capture the unpredictable in my art as well as in my research and teaching.

With over 30 years of experience in higher education teaching and leadership, I am deeply interested in how people learn with and through technology; I consider myself a "digital explorer." I am passionate about leveraging social media and emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, to enhance the way we learn and connect. I’ve presented quite extensively on best practices in learning assistance and technology and learning. My current professional interests revolve around the power or narrative (storytelling); women's self-expression through letter writing; digital learning; digital storytelling; self-care; prior learning assessment; and student success.

To learn a little more about me as a faculty member, here is a video that is part of a #WhyEmpire social media project at SUNY Empire State University. I talk about my connection to the university and my passion for assisting students. To learn more about me as a collaborative community artist and muralist, please see this article from our local school district.

FORMAL BIO

Lisa D'Adamo-Weinstein, Ph.D. is a storyteller, university educator, and multi-disciplinary artist who believes in the transformative power of narrative to shape learning and creativity. With over 30 years of experience and leadership in higher education, she currently serves as the 2025-2026 Turben Chair in Mentoring as well as the Coordinator of the Interdisciplinary/Multidisciplinary Program and Associate Professor at SUNY Empire State University. Her work focuses on student success/retention; women's ways of knowing; narratives/storytelling; the power of creativity; academic support; and the recognition of learning in all its forms. She is certified in organizational change management and has conducted numerous external reviews and certification evaluations of learning support centers in the US and international locations.

Prior to her current roles at SUNY Empire State University, Lisa served as a Director of Academic Support for 10 years and then served for 3.5 years as Dean of various college student affairs and instructional support services. During the university's institution-wide reorganization that centralized college academics and support services, Lisa, under various titles and configurations, leveraged data-driven decision making to increase student retention support services; improved operational and budgetary efficiencies; normalized supports and resources across an institution distributed over 30 locations and online; and enhanced delivery systems to meet the needs of working adult students both online and in person. The offices she led included Academic Support, Accessibility Resources and Services; Curriculum and Instructional Design; Online Instructor Development; Online Library; Student Success and Development; and Student Life.

Before coming to Empire State in 2007, she wore many hats teaching, administrating, and directing learning assistance programs at Indiana University, American University, and the United States Military Academy – West Point.

Lisa earned a B.A. in English & General Literature at Binghamton University (SUNY). She completed her M.S. and Ph.D. at Indiana University. Her dissertation analyzed the personal narratives of several female African‐American first-generation college students, focusing on how their ways of knowing and identity development related to their college success. She is co‐author of the book Piecing It Together: A Guide to Academic Success, published by Allyn & Bacon. She is a Past President of the National College Learning Center Association (NCLCA) having served on the Executive Board from 2003‐2006.

In 2005, she received the Department of Defense, Commander’s Award for Civilian Service, and she is a 2013 recipient of the State University of New York’s Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service. In 2021, she and three other colleagues earned the James William and Mary Elizabeth Hall Award for Innovation for their work on three virtual performances related to the COVID pandemic as part of the weekly Creative Expressions sessions she ran for 30 weeks from April to November 2020.

You can find out more about Lisa’s background, presentations, and research interests at https://sites.google.com/site/drlisadw/home or connect on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlisadw/.

Except where otherwise noted, all of the content on this site is the research work of Lisa D'Adamo-Weinstein and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact dr.lisadw@gmail.com for any questions or permissions to use the work(s) for your own research/projects.

In the News:

2025

May 9, 2025 - "Empire State University Honors Class of 2025 in Albany Ceremony" - mentioned as faculty speaker.
May 9, 2025 - “New Inspiration”: A Transfer Student Finds Her Footing at Empire State University" - mentioned as student's advisor/mentor.
March 2025 - "Why Empire State University?" - profile as part of this series asking about our experiences as a member of the university community

2023

November 17, 2023 - "Students Create Murals in Hampton Manor Lake Park" - East Greenbush School District article about community mural and grant funded project directed by Dr. D'Adamo-Weinstein.
November 17, 2023 - "Empire State University Faculty Member and Local Teens Transform East Greenbush Park with Community Arts Mural" - University Press Release

2020

Fall 2020 - "The Making of a Mascot: SUNY Empire State College adopts its first college mascot" - mentioned as faculty member who chaired the committee to create a mascot for Empire State.
Summer 2020 - "Meet the Curriculum Developers" - mentioned as one of the designers for the SUNY COIL Global Commons Virtual Study Abroad.

2013

Summer 2023 - "War Stories: An Incredible Journey" - mentioned in article in All About Mentoring about performances and residency.

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