Department of Counseling, Family Therapy and Higher Education

Dr. Jason Lynch is a passionate educator and innovative scholar-practitioner. He is a native North Carolinian and first-generation college student, growing up in Whiteville, a small rural town in the southeastern region of the state.

His scholarship and teaching are informed by his practical experience in functional areas including Housing & Residence Life, Student Conduct, Leadership Development, Multicultural Affairs, Fraternity & Sorority Life, Assessment & Evaluation, and Statewide System Policy & Governance.

He is committed to equipping educators and educational leaders with the tools to provide transformational learning opportunities for students while also fostering the growth and well-being of staff, faculty, and leadership. His research interests explore the nature and impact of trauma within educational contexts, with specific focus on secondary traumatic stress, organizational trauma, and trauma-informed leadership in postsecondary education.

He welcomes the opportunity to serve his community through collaboration with other P-20 educational organizations, non-profits, and government organizations. He is a member of American Educational Research Association, Association for the Study of Higher Education, North Carolina Association of Research in Education, and Association of College & University Student Housing Officers-International. 

He's held multiple leadership roles including Founding Executive Editor for the Journal of Trauma Studies in Education, Chair of Special Interest Group (#117) on Stress, Coping, & Resilience for the American Educational Research Association, Journal of College Student Development Editorial Board, and Journal of Student Affairs Research & Practice Editorial Board.

Learn more about Dr. Lynch at jasonlynchphd.com or connect with him via LinkedIn at /in/jasonlynchphd.

Selected Recent Publications

• Lynch, R.J. & Rush, C.B. (In Press, 2023). A Practical Guide to Developing Culturally Responsive Learning Environments in Postsecondary Education. Information Age Publishing.
• Lynch, R.J., DiDonato, S., & McCarthy, C. (In Press, 2024). Stress & Coping in Education Volume 11: Implications for the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond. Information Age Publishing.
• Lynch, R.J. & Wojdak, K.P. (2023). An exploration of trauma inclusive pedagogy and students' perceptions of academic success. To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development.
• Lynch, R.J., Gesing, P., & Cruz, N. (2023). Predictors of international student trauma exposure response and support during COVID-19. Journal of American College Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2023.2166350
• Lynch, R.J. (2022). Prevalence and predictive factors of secondary traumatic stress in college student affairs professionals. Journal of Student Affairs Research & Practice. http://doi.org/10.1080/19496591.2022.2080555
• Lynch, R.J. (2022). The cost of professional helping in higher education. In Shalka, T. & Okello, W. (Eds.), New Directions for Student Services: Trauma-Informed Practice in Student Affairs: Multidimensional Considerations for Care, Healing, & Wellbeing (p. 69-80). New Directions for Student Services. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/ss.20416
• Lynch, R.J. (2021). Traumatic stress responses in North Carolina K-12 educators during the Covid-19 pandemic: A descriptive study. Journal of Applied Educational and Policy Research, 6(1), 19-29.
• Lynch, R.J. & Glass, C. (2020). The cost of caring: An arts-based phenomenological analysis of secondary traumatic stress in college student affairs. Review of Higher Education, 43(4), 1041-1068. http://doi.org/ 10.1353/rhe.2020.0030

Selected Presentations

• Weppner, C., Tian, T., Dirienzo, F., Miller, T., McCarthy, C., DiDonato, S., & Lynch, R.J. (2023). A Scoping Review of Collegiate Student’s Stress during COVID-19. Presented at the 44th International Conference of the Stress, Trauma, Anxiety, and Resilience Society (STAR). Portugal, Spain.
• Lynch, R.J. & Gaylord, J. (2023). Exploring an RA Secondary Traumatic Stress Inoculation Curriculum. Presented at the Association of College & University Student Housing Officers-International (ACUHO-I) Conference & Expo. Portland, OR.
• Lynch, R.J., Inoa, L., & Waller, J. (2023). Director of Residence Life Perceptions of Community Mental Health Needs. Presented at the Association of College & University Student Housing Officers-International (ACUHO-I) Conference & Expo. Portland, OR.
• Lynch, R.J. & Gilbert, C.E. (2023). Supervisor Emotional Maturity, Psychological Safety, & Traumatic Stress in College Student Affairs. Presented at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Conference, Chicago, IL.
• Wojdak, K.P. & Lynch, R.J. (2022). Trauma-Inclusive Pedagogy: An Evidence-Based Framework for Supporting Student Success and Achievement. Presented at The International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Conference, Kelowana, British Columbia, Canada.
• Lynch, R.J., Gilbert, C., Lastinger, J. (2022). Queering Trauma-Informed Support for LGBTQIA+ Students in Postsecondary Education. 2022 LGBTQ+ Research Symposium. The Center for LGBTQ+ Research, University of Kansas.
• Lynch, R.J. & Thrill, C.R. (2022). An exploration of trauma, resilience, and well-being in community college student. Presented at the Council for the Study of Community Colleges Annual Conference, Phoenix, AZ.

Click here for Dr. Lynch's CV.