Sam Lim, MEd
Educator * Emerging Scholar-Practitioner * Administrator
Sam Lim, MEd (pronouns: they, them) is an educator, university administrator, and emerging educational scholar-practitioner based in Philadelphia, PA. They bring a history of innovative leadership in diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and access education, training, and strategy across K-12 and higher education, with specific expertise in LGBTQIA+ advocacy. Sam works as the inaugural Associate Director for Equity & Inclusion Initiatives at Penn Carey Law. Active in the community, they serve on the Directorate for the ACPA- College Student Educators International's Coalition for Sexuality and Gender Identities (CSGI) and Teach For America's National Prism LGBTQIA+ Advisory Board. Sam is the recipient of ACPA CSGI's 2024 Val DuMontier New Professional Award, honoring an early career professional who has made significant contributions to the area of LGBTQIA+ awareness.
Originally from Syracuse, NY, Sam holds a BA in Languages & Literatures from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a MEd in Higher Education in Student Affairs from Salem State University. A Point Foundation BIPOC Scholar, they are currently pursuing their EdD in Higher Education Administration at The University of Southern Mississippi, advised by Dr. Kaity Prieto. Their current research interests include:
Sam is a former board member of Atlanta Pride and North Shore Pride. From 2020-2022, they were appointed by former Mayor Kim Driscoll to the City of Salem, MA's Scholarship & Education Committee, Cultural Council, and Human Rights Coalition, for which they served as co-Chair. Sam was inducted into the Salem State University Civic Engagement Hall of Fame in 2022 for their service to the region. They were also honored with the 2022 Salem State University Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Leadership Award, the University of Missouri-Kansas City's 2019 LGBTQ+ Outstanding Alum of the Year Pride Award, and were voted The Georgia Voice’s 2019 Best Up & Coming LGBTQ+ Youth.
Sam maintains active professional affiliation with ACPA- College Student Educators International, the Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals, and the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE).
Originally from Syracuse, NY, Sam holds a BA in Languages & Literatures from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a MEd in Higher Education in Student Affairs from Salem State University. A Point Foundation BIPOC Scholar, they are currently pursuing their EdD in Higher Education Administration at The University of Southern Mississippi, advised by Dr. Kaity Prieto. Their current research interests include:
- Discursive constitutionalism and transgender student well-being, with specific consideration of campus free speech and academic freedom
- Experiences of LGBTQIA+ professional students, with a focus on queer and transgender professional students of color in education and law
- Comparative assessment of EdD program models and practitioner-centered doctoral training
- Higher education administration, organizational theory, and decision-making processes of college presidents, chief diversity officers, and boards of trustees, with a focus on crisis response
Sam is a former board member of Atlanta Pride and North Shore Pride. From 2020-2022, they were appointed by former Mayor Kim Driscoll to the City of Salem, MA's Scholarship & Education Committee, Cultural Council, and Human Rights Coalition, for which they served as co-Chair. Sam was inducted into the Salem State University Civic Engagement Hall of Fame in 2022 for their service to the region. They were also honored with the 2022 Salem State University Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Leadership Award, the University of Missouri-Kansas City's 2019 LGBTQ+ Outstanding Alum of the Year Pride Award, and were voted The Georgia Voice’s 2019 Best Up & Coming LGBTQ+ Youth.
Sam maintains active professional affiliation with ACPA- College Student Educators International, the Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals, and the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE).