Vera Institute of Justice

Amanda Nowak is a senior program associate with Vera’s Unlocking Potential initiative. In her role, Amanda supports postsecondary education institutions and departments of correction to develop and improve their Prison Education Programs, in alignment with the new Pell Reinstatement regulations. Her efforts also focus on improving economic mobility, reentry education, and employment opportunities for people who are justice-impacted.

Before joining Vera in 2022, Amanda worked for several postsecondary institutions, where she taught incarcerated students in addition to leading initiatives to expand college access in correctional settings. She also has experience working in leadership development and grant writing.

Amanda holds a BA in psychology from Lehigh University, as well as an MA and a PhD in developmental psychology from the University of Notre Dame. Her doctoral research explored mechanisms that contributed to the well-being of and successful outcomes for youth with disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds.