From Community College to Corrections: Dr. Amanda Lloyd's Educational Leadership Journey
As the new Director of the Virginia Prison Education Program and Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, Dr. Amanda Lloyd brings a remarkable breadth of experience to the team at UVA's School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Her journey in adult and higher education spans nearly two decades: it began in marketing and outreach at Old Dominion University and then evolved through leadership roles at both Tidewater Community College and Rappahannock Community College.
With a unique background that bridges academic instruction, workforce development, corporate training and organizational development, Dr. Lloyd understands how education can act as a powerful tool for community impact. Furthermore, her extensive volunteer leadership, which includes serving as Past President of the Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach to gubernatorial appointments on state boards, reflects her deep commitment to public service.
Recently, Dr. Lloyd sat down with us to discuss her role in advancing UVA School of Continuing and Professional Studies' mission of accessible education as well as her vision for building the Virginia Prison Education Program into a transformative model that restores dignity and creates pathways for incarcerated students.
What has your career journey been like so far?
I’ve always been drawn to creating opportunities for people to learn, grow, and find new possibilities for themselves. I fell in love with adult and higher education 18 years ago in my very first job at Old Dominion University, and that spark has guided me ever since.
My time at Tidewater Community College shaped so much of who I am as an educator and leader. I started out teaching history and humanities, and over the years, I moved into workforce development: building programs, leading initiatives and seeing firsthand how education can transform not just individuals, but entire communities. My earlier experience with the City of Norfolk in training and organizational development gave me a strong foundation in leadership and people development.
These experiences remind me that leadership isn’t just about a title: it’s about making sure the work I do leaves people, programs and communities better than I found them.
Talk about your role at the School of Continuing and Professional Studies. How does it contribute to our larger mission?
Through my work in workforce development, nonprofit leadership, and now prison education, I’ve focused on creating opportunities that are affordable, flexible, and responsive to the real lives of adult learners. I’ve seen how transformational it can be when education is designed with accessibility in mind: not just in terms of location or format, but also in honoring the lived experiences that students bring with them.
In my role as Director of the Virginia Prison Education Program, I have the privilege of bringing higher education into correctional settings: work that feels both urgent and deeply meaningful. I’m helping to ensure that higher education reaches one of the most marginalized populations in our Commonwealth. This not only reflects the School of Continuing and Professional Studies' mission to offer lifelong learning opportunities regardless of class, race, or circumstance, but also strengthens our broader commitment to equity and social mobility.
I see my role as both opening doors and walking alongside students as they take steps toward finishing degrees, advancing careers and, ultimately, transforming their futures.
What is your ultimate vision for your work here, and what are you most excited about?
My vision is to build a model of higher education in corrections that is both rigorous and deeply humanizing: one that provides incarcerated students with the same quality of academic experience as any other UVA student while also creating pathways to meaningful futures after release. I see this program not just as an opportunity to deliver courses but also as a catalyst for hope, dignity and social mobility for individuals who have historically been denied access to higher education. My goal is to create a sustainable program that becomes a statewide - and national - example of what’s possible when a world-class university commits to expanding educational equity behind the walls.
What excites me most about this role is the chance to build something brand new: something that has the power to change lives, families and communities for generations. I’m energized by the opportunity to collaborate with UVA faculty, community partners, and correctional leaders. Most of all, I’m inspired by the students themselves: their resilience, curiosity, and determination to learn. Being part of their journey and helping to open doors that might have once seemed impossible, is the work I feel most called to do.
What makes the Virginia Prison Education Program such a vital initiative?
By bringing UVA classrooms into correctional facilities, we are saying to incarcerated students, “You matter, your future matters and your education matters.”
It fully embodies who we are: a school committed to expanding opportunity and transforming lives through education. This program is both a natural extension of our mission and a bold step forward. It reflects UVA’s broader commitment to equity, service, and justice while showing that education can be delivered in innovative, responsive ways: even within the most challenging environments. Ultimately, this initiative positions the School of Continuing and Professional Studies as a model for how higher education institutions can play a direct role in addressing some of society’s most pressing challenges - mass incarceration, educational inequity, and barriers to opportunity - through the power of teaching and learning.