Dr. Lelli brings over 30 years of experience in the education field. She began her career teaching preschool children and then taught students with various disabilities at the high school level in Pottsgrove PA. Dr. Lelli, in her 20 plus years in higher education has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses including Reading methods courses, Special Education methods courses, Domestic Violence Education courses and Autism methodology courses. Most recently, she was a Professor of Education and Director of the Barbara and John Jordan Center for Children of Trauma and Domestic Violence Education at Cabrini University for over 20 years.

Dr. Lelli’s research interests include: enhancing pre-service and in-service teachers’ knowledge of domestic violence; and growing educators’ abilities to support the learning of those who have witnessed trauma. One key focus is using children’s literature to advocate for children with various traumas (e.g., helping children of trauma gain resilience). Additionally, Dr. Lelli has published and presented while providing teachers and professionals key strategies to support children of trauma to learn effectively in the classroom. Her first book entitled Trauma Sensitive Schools: The Importance of Instilling Grit, Determination and Resilience was published by Rowman and Littlefield and focuses on the support educators and other professionals could use to support children with trauma and providing them with the strategies necessary to encourage this vulnerable population.

Dr. Lelli was an invited expert speaker for podcasts, television shows, news radio broadcasts and webinars. She has been asked to serve as a feature speaker locally, nationally and internationally.

During her time in higher education, Dr. Lelli has written and obtained grant funding totally over $700,000.

Dr. Lelli has been given numerous awards for her accomplishments. In May of 2023 she was granted the Denise Edwards Memorial Award for Outstanding contributions to Cabrini University Athletics. In November of 2022, she was awarded the NCAA Division III Faculty Athletic Representative of the Year. In May of 2020 she was bestowed the highly prestigious Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award and in the same year was named a YWCA Exceptional Woman. In 2019, she was a Norristown High Hall of Fame inductee. In 2018, she was given the Cabrini University Distinguished Faculty Award for External Service.

Dr. Lelli is actively engaged in community organizations while serving on numerous board positions including past co-president of Laurel House, a comprehensive domestic violence agency in Montgomery County, PA and secretary of the board of the Delaware County Victim Assistance Center. Currently she is on the board of Gemma Services, an organization committed to providing education, mental health services in residential and community settings, prevention programs for individuals who are often impacted by loss, mental health struggles, unexpected circumstances or serious traumas such as abuse and neglect.