About me
Niki Elliott, PhD serves as director for the Center for Embodied Equity and Neurodiversity at University of San Diego’s School of Leadership and Education Sciences. Prior to this appointment, she served for 7 years as the founding director of the Center for Neurodiversity, Learning and Wellness at the University of La Verne in California.
A high-energy, spirited, and inspiring teacher educator, Niki has taught students of all ages for more than 30 years. She is a staunch advocate for students whose lived experiences include learning disabilities, mental health challenges, foster care placement, and/or racialized marginalization. Her mission is to galvanize an education workforce that establishes trauma-informed, neuroinclusive learning communities where all students and educators thrive.
Presently, Niki is a sought-after speaker, mindfulness retreat facilitator, curriculum developer and trainer. Her unique approach to integrating educational neuroscience with mind-body nervous system wellness has supported thousands of administrators, educators, and counselors around the world. Educators who have adopted her mind-body approach report significant reductions in expulsion rates for students of color, improvements in classroom climate, and increases in professional well-being. Her Heart-Centered Connections curriculum, and the professional certificate programs she has developed, have been implemented by school districts, family service agencies, and helping professionals across the U.S. and 13 countries globally.
Niki is a native of Southern California, where she presently resides with her family. She earned a doctorate in Education at UCLA in addition to holistic certifications in yoga, mindfulness meditation, and clinical breathwork. Her greatest joy is found in helping education professionals establish a mind-body connection for improving learning outcomes for students of all ages.
