Tamara G. J. Leech is a sociologist and associate professor of public health at Montclair State University. She received her bachelor’s degree in public policy and international affairs, with a minor in African American studies from Princeton University and her PhD in sociology from the University of Michigan.
Her work focuses on the well-being of young people who live in marginalized and underserved urban environments. Many of her projects incorporate citizen science and asset-based community development into methodological approaches designed to understand aspects of structures, systems, and practices that lead to health inequities.
Often referred to as a “translational scholar,” Leech has received several major scholarly awards, including serving as a National Science Foundation Fellow, a Woodrow Wilson Foundation Early Career Fellow, and a William T. Grant Scholar. Published in various journals, such as the Journal of Research on Adolescence, Family and Community Health, and Health Services Research, her work has also been featured in the Harvard Kennedy School’s Journalist Resource List and on NPR.
Her project, “Community Conversations and Reimagining Public Safety,” expands on her recent work with the Policing Project at NYU, focusing on conducting culturally responsive and equitable community conversations that allow municipalities to center residents’ voices in efforts to transform public safety systems.
http://drtgjleech.weebly.com/
