Janice Johnson Dias, Ph.D.

Janice Johnson Dias, Ph.D. is a tenured associate professor of sociology at John Jay College in New York City. She is the co-founder and president of the public health and social action organization GrassROOTS Community Foundation and leads its SuperCamp for girls. She holds a Ph.D. in sociology from Temple University. Her collaborative work on Black girls’ mental, sexual, and physical health issues earned her a special congressional recognition and grants from the Robert Wood Johnson and Annie E. Casey foundations. Her work on the effects of safety on girls’ physical activity in low-income neighborhoods led her to serve as an advisor to the city of Newark, where she focused on violence as a public health issue. Born in Jamaica, Johnson Dias moved to the United States at age 12 and now lives in New Jersey with her husband, Scott, daughter, Marley, and dog, Philly.