Abdi "Lalee" Awad is an advocate with many hats; he has experience in research, policy work, curriculum development, facilitation, restorative practice/justice, and mindfulness practices and traditions. He has consulted on and facilitated culturally responsive restorative practices, co—authoring and consulting on restorative justice-based policies. His previous work includes being a Senior Justice Scholar with Opportunity Scholars, 2023 UCLA Dream Fellow, and an Alliance for Higher Education 2024-2025 fellow, and as a consultant, program development guide, co-facilitator, and mentor for the dee Clarke Justice Fellowship program (dCJF) as part of the placematters team housed under the Catherine Cutler Institute at the University of Southern Maine.

He approaches his work through the lenses of intersectionality and systems thinking. Lalee holds a Master's degree in Adult and Higher Education from the University of Southern Maine, where he is currently a PhD student in the Leadership program. He is someone who is directly impacted by the legal system (presently incarcerated) and refuses to let his circumstances define him. He is a Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Volunteer and has completed his 500-hour yoga teacher training. As an advocate, Lalee draws on his experiences as an immigrant (from Somalia) and someone impacted by the justice system to drive change.

Lalee has a history of mentoring youth and young adults through restorative practices and is passionate about uplifting and empowering the voices of young people and underserved communities.

Outside of work and advocacy, Lalee enjoys reading/writing poetry, as well as watching documentaries. He is someone who continually seeks to learn and connect with the world.