Neil Lewis, Jr.

Neil Lewis, Jr. is an Associate Professor at Cornell University in the Department of Communication, with affiliations in Medicine (Weill Cornell Medicine) and Public Policy. He holds the Nancy and Peter Meinig Family Investigator in the Life Sciences title and co-directs Cornell’s Action Research Collaborative, focusing on equity-driven interventions. His research examines how social contexts and identities influence goal pursuit, with applications to education, health, and environmental outcomes.

Education: B.A. in Economics & Psychology from Cornell University (2013); M.S. and Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Michigan (2015, 2017).

Research Interests: Behavioral science, equity implications of policies, intervention design, and societal-level inequality. His work bridges academia with practice through collaborations with policymakers and community members.

Recent Article Trends: Focus on racial equity, policy communication, and structural barriers in education and health. Articles analyze societal discourse shifts, workplace autonomy, and global policy comparisons.

• Awards: Early Career Scholar Award (ICA), Janet Taylor Spence Award (APS), National Academies Schmidt Award.
• Grants: Supported by RWJF, USDA, and New York State, among others.
• Advising: Mentors over 30 graduate and undergraduate researchers across disciplines.

Labs/Teams: Leads the Motivation and Goal Pursuit Lab and co-leads the Action Research Collaborative, fostering interdisciplinary work with partners like the Cornell Center for Racial Justice.