She received her undergraduate degree in English and Education from Barnard College at Columbia University, and her Master's and Ph.D. in Cultural Foundations of Education from Syracuse University. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in sociology of education, multiculturalism, qualitative research methods, and women's studies. Her research interests include youth culture, social justice, media literacy and the educational lives of girls. Lesley tries to work everyday to contribute to a more socially-just world, but sometimes she gets distracted by working in her garden, cooking interesting meals, surfing Craig's List, or watching The West Wing.