D. Pulane Lucas, Ph.D.

Adjunct Faculty

EXPERTISE

• Public policy
• Public administration
• Business administration
• Nonprofit management

TEACHING

Principles of Public Administration 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Dr. D. Pulane Lucas is a public policy scholar, higher education leader, researcher, and advocate whose career bridges academia, nonprofit management and innovation, and community transformation. She is the Founding President and CEO of Policy Pathways, Inc., a Richmond, Virginia-based nonprofit organization dedicated to preparing youth and young adults for careers in public service, public policy, international affairs, and related sectors. With a mission to promote access, equity, and excellence in policy education, Policy Pathways, under Dr. Lucas’s visionary leadership, has served over 200 high school and college students since launching its programs in 2020. Under Dr. Lucas’s vision and leadership, the Summer Academy for Policy Leadership and Public Service has become more than an educational initiative; it is a rigorous, inclusive training ground for the next generation of changemakers.

In her academic roles, she served as an Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Business at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College for eleven years and presently teaches public administration courses at Virginia Commonwealth University’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, where she earned her Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration with a concentration in health policy.

Dr. Lucas holds multiple advanced degrees from Harvard University, including an MBA from Harvard Business School, an MTS from Harvard Divinity School, and an AM in Religion, Philosophy, and Public Policy from Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. A prolific writer and curriculum developer, Dr. Lucas is the author of several books, scholarly articles, case studies, and reports, including Disruptive Transformations in Health Care and God and the Self: Insights from Major Thinkers in the Western Philosophical Tradition.

Dr. Lucas has recently experienced a profound shift in the focus of her life’s work. In the wake of the 2023 in-custody death of her son, Stanley T. Wilson Jr.—a Stanford University graduate and former NFL player—Dr. Lucas has emerged as a national voice advocating for transparency, accountability, and accurate reporting of in-custody deaths. The exclusion of Stanley’s death from public in-custody death databases, conflicting official accounts of the events leading to his passing, and the LASD’s refusal to release surveillance footage have galvanized Dr. Lucas’s commitment to systemic change of America’s carceral institutions. Her recent op-eds about the criminal legal system in The Appeal have captured national attention. Her writings and speaking increasingly focus on in-custody deaths and injustices within the carceral system — fields where she is becoming a national thought leader. Her advocacy seeks to improve conditions in correctional facilities, expand access to medical and mental health care for incarcerated people, and drastically reduce the number of preventable in-custody deaths nationwide.

Dr. Lucas has presented at national and regional conferences hosted by NASPAA, the American Society for Public Administration, and the VCCS New Horizons Conference, among others. Her instructional excellence has been recognized by numerous honors and nominations, including the 2025 Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Exemplary Practice Award from the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), the 2021 Anti-Poverty Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, and multiple faculty excellence nominations from Reynolds Community College and the Virginia Community College System.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Books

Lucas D. P. (2017). God and the Self: Insights from Major Thinkers in the Western Philosophical Tradition. Bloomington, IN. Archway Publishing.

Lucas D. P.  (2014). Disruptive Transformations in Health Care: The Impact of Technological Innovation and Public Policy in the Hospital Industry. Saarbrücken, Deutschland/Germany. LAMBERT Academic Publishing.

Lucas D. P., & Hall, L. P. (2014). Voices From The Sisterhood, Spiritual Reflections, Volume 1. (co-eds.) Bloomington, IN. Archway Publishing.

Articles and Op-Eds

Lucas D. P. (2024). LA’s Sheriff Says He’s Banned Deputy Gangs. After My Son’s Death, How Can We Trust Him? The Appeal. (Oct 23, 2024). Available online: https://theappeal.org/authors/dr-d-pulane-lucas/

Lucas D. P. (2023). My Son Died in LA County Custody. Months Later, His Death Hasn’t Been Counted. The Appeal. (Sep 08). Available online: https://theappeal.org/authors/d-pulane-lucas/

Lucas D. P. (2022). What’s Next? Guidance for Today’s Students: Connecting Education, Experience, and Careers. Richmond Family Magazine, Family Advocate column (September/October). Available online: https://richmondfamilymagazine.com/article/whats-next-guidance-for-todays-students/

Lucas D. P. (2015). Disruptive Transformations in Health Care: Technological Innovation and Public Policy Reforms in the Hospital Industry in The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Organizational Studies, Volume 9, Issue 1.

Dissertation

Lucas D. P. (2013). Disruptive Transformations in Health Care: Technological Innovation and the Acute Care General Hospital. (Virginia Commonwealth University)

Reports

Lucas D. P. (2017). Introduction to Business (BUS 100) Learning Outcomes Report: For Spring 2017. (Reynolds Community College, School of Business).

Lucas D. P., & Halkitis, P. N. (2007). Assessing HIV/AIDS Supportive and Case Management Services in the Lives of New York City Women. (New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute/United Way of New York City)

The Women of Color Policy Network & Lucas D. P. (2006). We Speak: New York City Women Living with HIV/AIDS Speak about Their Needs. (United Way of New York City)

Leadership and Management Case Studies

Evans D. P. (1998). The Reverend Dr. Calvin O. Butts and the Abyssinian Baptist Church (A), (B), and (C). Examines the role of religious authority in society through the experiences of Harlem’s leading church-based community activist pastor. (Harvard Divinity School)

Evans, D. P. (1998). The Reverend Dr. Floyd H. Flake and the Allen African Methodist Episcopal Church (A), (B), and (C). Examines the leadership and managerial styles of a U.S. Congressman and pastor of a 10,000-member congregation with numerous affiliated community, housing, and economic development corporations. (Harvard Divinity School)

Evans, D. P. (1998). The Reverend Dr. Joseph L. Roberts, Jr. and the Ebenezer Baptist Church (A), (B), and (C). Examine the dynamics and challenges of organizational change and leadership as an Atlanta pastor attempts to build upon the legacy of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Harvard Divinity School)

Evans, D. (1993). The Rev. Dr. Gardner C. Taylor and the Concord Federal Credit Union. Examines the challenges of operating a faith-based community financial institution attempting to respond to the economic development needs of the community. (Harvard Divinity School)

Evans, D. (1993). The Rev. Michael Wayne Walker and the Ronald McNair Community Development Corporation (A), (B), and (C). Examines the pastor as the leader of a community development corporation who mobilizes corporate support. (Harvard Divinity School)

Thomas, D. A., & Evans, D. (1992). Star Distributors, Inc. (A) and (B). Depicts interpersonal conflicts and organizational problems that emerged in a franchise operation owned by Paul Logan, an African American, and John Heyman, a white American. (Harvard Business School)

Conference Presentations

Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA Annual Conference 2024. Panel Discussion on “Best Practices in Public Service Pipeline Programs: Helping Students Navigate and Overcome Barriers to Success.” Track 2: Best Practices. A. K. Cook, D. P. Lucas, and J. A. Gordon, Friday, October 25, 2024.

Imagination and the Synthesis of Poetry and Philosophy. Presenter: D. P. Lucas. Presented at the 13th Annual Reynolds Faculty Symposium. April 5, 2019.

Using the Case Method of Instruction to Engage Community College Students. Presenter: D. P. Lucas. Reynolds College Faculty Professional Development Day. May 11, 2016.

Using the Case Method of Instruction to Engage Community College Students. Presenter: D. P. Lucas. VCCS 2016 New Horizons Conference. April 14, 2016.

Disruptive Innovation and Public Policy Reforms in Health Care: The Cases of Laparoscopic Appendectomy and Cholecystectomy. Presenter: D. P. Lucas. Presented at the 10th Annual Reynolds Faculty Symposium. April 1, 2016.

Disruptive Innovation and Public Policy Reforms in Health Care: The Cases of Laparoscopic Appendectomy and Cholecystectomy. Presenter: D. P. Lucas. Presented at the American Society for Public Administration 75th Annual Conference. Celebrating the Successes and Promoting the Future of Public Service. March 18, 2014.

Evaluating HIV/AIDS-Related Supportive Services and Case Management Services for Women. Presenters: D. P. Lucas, S. Kupprat, & N. Pillai. Presented at the Eastern Evaluation Research Society (30th Annual Conference). Promising Advances, Persistent Challenges. April 23, 2007.

Case Management and Supportive Services Encounters among HIV-Positive Women. Presenter: D. P. Lucas. Social Work and HIV/AIDS (19th Annual Conference). “There’s Change in the Air” – Future Challenges for HIV/AIDS Social Work. May 26, 2007.