Influential Woman · Higher Education / Nonprofit
Shirley Leyro, Ph.D.
Associate Professor / Administrative Director, Borough of Manhattan Community College
New York, NY
Her Story
About Shirley
Shirley Leyro, Ph.D., is a scholar, educator, critical criminologist, and community leader whose work bridges criminal justice, immigration, higher education, public health, and social equity. Born and raised in the Castle Hill Houses in the Bronx, she is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Coordinator of the Urban Studies Program at Borough of Manhattan Community College–CUNY. Dr. Leyro’s research focuses on immigration, deportation, immigration enforcement, crimmigration, and the mental health impact of deportation vulnerability on immigrant communities. Her award-winning scholarship also includes the CUNY Belonging Study, examining belonging and inclusion across the university, for which she received the Barbara R. Walters Community College Faculty Award. Dr. Leyro is the creator of ALMAS: The Advancing Latinx Mentors and Scholars (ALMAS) Network, a national initiative dedicated to supporting, connecting, advancing, and retaining Latina/o/x scholars, researchers, and practitioners through mentorship, professional development, leadership opportunities, collaboration, and community building. Her honors include the Teaching Award from the American Society of Criminology’s Division of People of Color and Crime and a Faculty Fellowship with the Center for Place, Culture, and Politics. She regularly shares her expertise at professional conferences, colleges and universities, public-policy panels, and through television, radio, podcasts, and print media. Beyond academia, Dr. Leyro serves as Administrative Director of The Bronx Health Link, Inc., where she leads initiatives advancing health equity and maternal and family health in the Bronx. Across her work, she is committed to connecting scholarship, policy, mentorship, and community engagement to create more equitable opportunities and outcomes.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Shirley
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a combination of serendipity, hard work, and a deep commitment to serving my community. My role at The Bronx Health Link has allowed me to reconnect with my roots in organizing and activism while drawing on my skills as an educator to make a meaningful impact in the borough where I was born and raised. The fact that I now do this work just a block from my first apartment makes the journey feel wonderfully full circle.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I’ve learned to listen to those with more experience, embrace collaboration and partnership, and never compromise my core values. I let those values serve as my North Star when making difficult decisions.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I encourage young women to identify their core values early and let them serve as their North Star. Embrace collaboration, mentorship, and community, and remain open to unexpected opportunities. Careers rarely follow a straight path, and experiences that seem unrelated today may ultimately become the skills that prepare you to lead tomorrow.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I see persistent health inequities, immigration-related fear, maternal health disparities, and climate emergencies affecting vulnerable communities as major challenges. At the same time, these issues create opportunities for universities, nonprofits, healthcare providers, advocates, and community organizations to collaborate on stronger, community-centered solutions while expanding mentorship and leadership opportunities for women and faculty of color.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are community, integrity, equity, compassion, collaboration, and authenticity. I believe leadership means listening carefully, protecting the dignity of those I serve, and using my position to create opportunities for others. I also recognize that self-care is essential, because sustainable service requires extending the same compassion to ourselves that we offer our communities.
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