Isabelle Elisha, PhD

Associate Director, Psychology

Dr. Isabelle Elisha is the Associate Director for the Psychology Program at the CUNY School of Professional Studies. Prior to joining CUNY SPS, Dr. Elisha was a full-time faculty member at Middlebury College. She also taught within the CUNY system at New York City College of Technology and Kingsborough Community College while completing her PhD in Psychology with a specialization in Developmental Psychology at the CUNY Graduate Center. Dr. Elisha also has an MA in Human Development from Cornell University and a BA in Liberal Arts from Eugene Lang College.

Her research focuses on cultural and contextual influences on children’s and adolescents’ developmental trajectories with a strong emphasis on the roles of race, ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic status. The goal of her work is to promote empirically-based solutions that meaningfully address the negative impact of discrimination, inequality, and injustice on young people's well-being. Her current projects examine Black youth’s civic engagement and community participation.

Recent news

Dr. Steven Samrock, MA in Psychology alum and CUNY SPS Professor

CUNY SPS Alum Shares Inspiring Story at Psychology Speaker Series Event

July 01, 2026

CUNY SPS alum Dr. Steven Samrock recounts his rich and varied path in the latest segment of the Psychology Program's series, "A Day in the Life." Dr. Samrock, who returns to CUNY SPS this fall as a faculty member, credits that varied background for deepening his clinical insight.
Photo of CUNY SPS psychology faculty and students attending APS Conferenece.

First-of-its-Kind Trip Brings CUNY SPS Psychology Students to National Conference

September 29, 2025

With the help of a generous grant, thirty-two undergraduate psychology majors were able to attend the 2025 Association for Psychological Science Annual Convention in Washington, DC, this summer.
Cover of American Psychologist

Looking Within: Elevating Black Scholarly Contributions to Empirical Approaches in Developmental Science

September 18, 2023

American Psychologist

Isabelle Elisha, associate director for the Psychology program, collaborated with CUNY alum Juliana Karras and CUNY professor Martin Ruck to publish “Looking Within: Elevating Black Scholarly Contributions to Empirical Approaches in Developmental Science” in the May-June issue of American Psychologist. The article explores how Black scholars have designed, applied, and promoted nuanced approaches to the study of human growth and development.
Nausheen Pasha-Zaidi, Dr. Mahoney

Latest Installments of Speaker Series Connect Students with Educational Psychologists

September 07, 2023

In two talks offered as part of the Day in the Life speaker series, Dr. Mahoney and Dr. Pasha-Zaidi spoke about their careers in educational psychology.

CUNY SPS Faculty Members Awarded CUNY Career Success Fellowship

April 24, 2023

Dr. Isabelle Elisha and Dr. Joseph Foy are among the nearly 50 faculty across CUNY selected for this important career readiness initiative.