Adeja Smith (she/her) is an undergraduate Psychology major at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a member of the Reimagining Justice Lab’s Hidden Sentence History Research Team. Her academic interests center on forensic psychology, criminology, and the psychological impacts of punishment and legal systems. Through her work with the lab, Adeja conducts qualitative research on historical sentencing practices, examining how hidden punitive mechanisms have shaped systems of justice and social control over time.
Beyond research, Adeja is actively involved in campus leadership and community-based work, with experience in youth mentorship, public outreach, and student ambassador roles. She is particularly interested in how interdisciplinary research can inform more equitable approaches to justice and rehabilitation. Adeja plans to pursue graduate study in forensic psychology.