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Woman in white shirt with pink and white dots with a ponytail smiling

Torishana Johnson-Nino

Lecturer
tjnino@uchicago.edu
Address

969 E. 60th Street
Chicago, IL 60637

Areas of Expertise
Adolescent Mental Health and Development Disorders
African Americans
Behavioral Health and Psychotherapeutic Interventions
Criminology
Cultural Attunement
Gender, Race, and Class
Human Development
LGBTQIA+
Mass Incarceration
Organizational Design
Training and Mentorship
Inclusive Leadership

This course is intended to provide students with a conceptual understanding of social, economic, and racial justice and different perspectives regarding how social sector...

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Dr. T.J. Niño is not your run-of-the-mill academic—she’s a powerhouse in organizational leadership, with a knack for transforming businesses and inspiring people to think bigger and bolder. With more than 16 years of experience in the trenches, she’s a strategic disruptor (in the best way) who’s turned learning and development, culture shifts, and BADJIE (belonging, access, diversity, justice, inclusion and equity) initiatives into her superpowers.

Dr. Niño earned her Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, complemented by a Master’s in Organizational Psychology and a Bachelor’s in Psychology/Criminal Justice. Her academic pursuits don’t just end with degrees—she’s shaping minds as an adjunct lecturer at the University of Chicago and an adjunct professor at The Chicago School, guiding Master’s students toward their own leadership and organizational dreams.

As the Director of Training at Gateway Foundation, Dr. Niño is spearheading a learning revolution. She’s building the training function from the ground up, armed with data-driven insights and a three-year strategic learning and development plan to elevate professional growth across the organization. Her work is ensuring Gateway remains a beacon of employee development and organizational excellence.

Her history of innovation doesn’t stop there. In previous roles, Dr. Niño revamped global learning philosophies, launched cutting-edge LMS platforms, and implemented strategies that boosted leadership effectiveness by an impressive 20%. She’s a maestro of turning challenges into opportunities, always with a creative edge that helps leaders and employees’ flourish.

Since 2012, Dr. Niño has also made her mark as an independent business consultant. Her expertise has guided countless organizations toward achieving their goals through cultural assessments, policy development, and transformational change management. From driving BADJIE initiatives to evaluating organizational effectiveness, she’s a trusted advisor who knows how to deliver results.

Beyond her organizational wizardry, Dr. Niño is a sought-after speaker at national conferences, a mentor on advisory boards, and an educator who thrives on inspiring the next generation of leaders. Her professional edge is seamlessly balanced by her approachable, witty style—she’s as insightful in the boardroom as she is engaging in the classroom.
With her unmatched blend of academic rigor, strategic brilliance, and a contagious enthusiasm for workplace transformation, Dr. T.J. Niño is the leader and consultant you didn’t know you needed-but now won’t want to live without.. Whether you’re aiming to supercharge your leadership programs, navigate complex cultural shifts, or just find better ways to help people thrive, Dr. Niño is already a step ahead—she’s probably thought of the solution before you’ve finished explaining the problem.

She doesn’t just build better workplaces—she builds better futures.