Assistant Professor, School of Education, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

PhD, University of Southern California, Urban Education Policy, 2016

Daniel J. Almeida is an assistant professor in the School of Education at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and coordinator of the Master of Science program in Higher Education Counseling/Student Affairs. Almeida teaches courses on student development theory, multicultural counseling and leadership. He received his BA in psychology from Dartmouth College, MA in higher education administration from Boston College, and PhD in Urban Education Policy at the USC Rossier School of Education.

Almeida has published articles in Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research, Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, and the Journal of Hispanic Higher Education. He also has two chapters included in the edited book The Problem of College Readiness and a chapter in Qualitative Inquiry in Higher Education Organization and Policy Research in the Core Concepts in Higher Education series.

Instructor, Department of Chicana/o Studies at California State University, Fullerton

PhD, University of Southern California, Urban Education Policy, 2019

Arely Acuña Avilez was a research assistant at the Pullias Center for Higher Education and a Rossier Dean’s Fellow in the Urban Education Policy PhD program at USC Rossier School of Education.

Before pursuing her doctoral studies, Avilez worked as a research assistant in the Office of Residential Life at UCLA where she conducted assessment and evaluation for the living-learning and theme communities. During her time at UCLA, she completed her master’s degree in student affairs and served as an intergroup dialogue facilitator. Avilez also earned her bachelor’s degree in international studies from UC Irvine, where she developed an interest in student affairs and research on higher education through her various involvements on campus.

Avilez was advised by Adrianna Kezar. Her research interests include student civic engagement, student organizations, and the educational experiences that contribute to the academic persistence of historically underrepresented students, particularly for immigrant and undocumented youth in higher education.

Assistant Director of Research and Academic Affairs, Joint Educational Project (JEP), University of Southern California

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Pullias Center for Higher Education, 2017-2018

PhD, University of Southern California, Urban Education Policy, 2012

Samantha Bernstein-Sierra is the assistant director of research and academic affairs for the Joint Educational Project (JEP) at the University of Southern California. In this role, she provides support to faculty partners, conducts and disseminates research on service learning and community engagement, and works with graduate research and teaching assistants to develop curricula for a wide range of undergraduate service learning classes. An attorney by trade, Sam is also a consultant and curriculum developer for JEP’s Pre-Law Project. For the last two years, she has been working with Susan Harris to develop graduate-level community engagement programs at USC, including the Engaged Graduate Education Learning Community which launched in January of 2018.

Bernstein-Sierra first came to JEP during her doctoral program as a graduate research and teaching assistant. After receiving her PhD in urban education policy from USC’s Rossier School of Education, she served as a postdoctoral fellow at the Pullias Center for Higher Education and continued to work with Susan and JEP on graduate engagement initiatives. She joined the full-time staff in the summer of 2018.

Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Leadership, California Lutheran University

PhD, University of Southern California, Urban Education Policy, 2017

Sharla Berry is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership. Her research explores technology in K-12 and higher education. Topics of interest include technology and college access and online learning in postsecondary environments. Berry teaches a number of research methods classes.

Assistant Professor of Higher and Adult Education, Department of Leadership, University of Memphis

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Pullias Center for Higher Education, 2020-2021

Dr. Bettencourt is an assistant professor of Higher and Adult Education in the Department of Leadership at the University of Memphis. Previously, she served as a postdoctoral research associate at the Pullias Center for Higher Education at the University of Southern California and the Center for Student Success Research at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in Higher Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst; a Master of Science in College Student Services Administration, and; Bachelor of Arts degrees in English, History, and Political Science from the University of California Davis.

Upper School Principal and Interim Athletic Director, Salem Baptist Christian School

EdD, University of Southern California, Educational Leadership-Higher Education Administration Specialization, 2004

C. Dean Campbell is the School Principal at Salem Baptist Christian School. He has served as Assistant Dean for Academic Services in The Graduate College at North Carolina A&T State University (NCAT) from 2012 to 2020. He participates in leadership and management of the unit planning strategies and implementing enrollment activities for academic departments. Prior to coming to Salem Baptist Christian School, he worked for over a decade in a variety of administrator roles in graduate education, including Morgan State University’s School of Graduate Studies, the University of Southern California’s Graduate School, and USC’s Enrollment Services Division.

PhD, University of Southern California 2023

Kaylan Baxter is a former research assistant in the Pullias Center for Higher Education at the University of Southern California. Using critical organizational and race theory, she studied approaches to postsecondary accountability and data use, examining their implications for the opportunities, experiences, and outcomes of racially minoritized students. Her dissertation study explored the roles of agency and advocacy in race-conscious practice, within the specific context of institutional research.

She holds a B.A. in economics from Wake Forest University and an M.A. in education policy and social analysis from Teachers College at Columbia University. A decade of justice-oriented practice, across universities and academic affairs units, informs her research and teaching interests.

Director of Strategic Research and Evaluation, Office of Institutional Research and Decision Support, Loyola Marymount University

Alumni, PhD 2015

Michelle Castellanos, Ph.D, serves as the Director of Strategic Research and Evaluation and part-time faculty at Loyola Marymount University. As the Director of Strategic Research and Evaluation, Michelle provides campus-wide leadership and support in the use data and the development of research studies to inform decision making and planning, leadership and oversight over the university course evaluation system, leadership in the development of policies related to the administration of surveys on campus, and oversight over the submission of official statistics to external agencies. Michelle also works to promote a culture of evidence based decision-making by providing leadership in the creation of educational resources and workshop related to survey design, measurement, and research for members of the campus community.

Associate Professor, Cerritos College

Ph.D., Urban Education Policy, USC

Edward’s research evaluates national, state, and institutional education policies and programs. He teaches economics at Cerritos College. Edward holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of California, Irvine, and a bachelor’s degree in management science and engineering from Stanford University.

Department Chairperson and Associate Professor at Seton Hall University

PhD in Urban Education Policy, 2012

Randall F. Clemens, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and Department Chairperson in the Department of Education Leadership, Management and Policy (ELMP) at Seton Hall University. His research—incorporating critical perspectives from sociology and public policy—pertains to three interrelated themes: equity, access, and readiness for minoritized students; qualitative research for education policy; and, innovative methods for qualitative inquiry.

Prior to joining Seton Hall University, Clemens worked for nine years as a professor at St. John’s University. He received his Ph.D. in Urban Education Policy from University of Southern California. While at the USC Rossier School of Education, Clemens worked as a doctoral fellow with William G. Tierney, Ph.D., at the Pullias Center for Higher Education.

Vice President, Research and Policy, Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario

PhD, University of Southern California, Education, 2003
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Pullias Center for Higher Education, 2003-2004

Julia Colyar is the Vice President, Research and Policy at HEQCO, where she works with team members to support the development of research-based policies and practices in Ontario’s postsecondary education sector. Julia joined HEQCO with more than two decades of experience in higher education policy and research as a scholar, teacher and practitioner. Prior to joining HEQCO, Julia was Director of Policy and Sector Collaboration at the Council of Ontario Universities. She was also an assistant professor of higher education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and the University at Buffalo, and taught graduate courses in student demographics and diversity, qualitative research methods and the sociology of higher education. Her research focused on access and transitions to postsecondary education for low-income and underrepresented students. Julia holds bachelor and master’s degrees in English from the University of California at Davis and the University of Toronto, and a PhD in Higher Education Policy from the University of Southern California.

Assistant Professor, University of Alabama

Senior Postdoctoral Research Associate, Pullias Center for Higher Education, 2020-2022
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Pullias Center for Higher Education, 2019-2021

KC Culver is an Assistant Professor at the University of Alabama and a Research Associate at the Pullias Center for Higher Education at the USC Rossier School of Education. Previously, KC was a senior postdoctoral research associate at Pullias. She employs quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods to study the impact of educational policy and practice on the development and success of diverse students. Her research focuses on policies and practices related to faculty, curriculum, and learning environments. She worked on two projects in Pullias: the PASS project and the Delphi Project.

Associate Professor, Azusa Pacific University

Postdoctoral Scholar 2005

Mari Luna De La Rosa has a variety of professional experience in higher education, including studying pathways to a college education for low-income students, administering financial aid services, and conducting institutional research. Luna De La Rosa teaches graduate courses in diversity and multiculturalism in higher education, college student learning and development, quantitative research methods and public policy in higher education. She recently co-edited a special issue of Christian Higher Education  titled “Race, Religion, and Responsibility in Christian Higher Education.”

Information Specialist, St. Louis Public Library

Ph.D. in Higher Education, 2000

After 22 years of graduate teaching, Patrick Dilley retired from academia and became a librarian. Over those years, he received a research recognition award from ACPA's Standing Committee on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Awareness Committee, received ACPA's Annuit Copetis honor, and was named to the first cohort of ACPA's Emerging Scholars. A longtime member of the Journal of College Student Development editorial board, Dilley has published three books, including "Gay Liberation to Campus Assimilation: Early Non-Heterosexual Student Organizing at Midwest Universities," which received the 2020 ASHE Outstanding Book Award.

Asssistant Professor of Higher Education Leadership, California State University, Stanislaus

Ph.D. in Urban Education Policy, University of Southern California, 2022

 Jude Paul Matias Dizon, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of higher education leadership at California State University, Stanislaus. His research examines campus racial climate, leadership, and organization for equity. Previously, Jude Paul worked in multicultural student affairs and Extended Opportunity Programs and Services in university and community college settings. Jude Paul earned a master's degree in higher education from the University of Vermont and a bachelor's degree in international development from UC Berkeley. He is a proud 1.5-generation Filipino American and son of postal workers.

Associate Professor in Educational Foundations, Leadership, and Policy at the University of Washington

PhD 2015

Julia draws on qualitative methods and sociological perspectives to study issues related to college access, transition, and equity for underrepresented student populations. Her research has examined college preparation in comprehensive high schools, magnet programs, and early college high schools that span urban and rural settings. She is currently PI of a statewide, mixed-methods, multi-year study of dual enrollment in Texas, for which she received a Lyle Spencer Award from the Spencer Foundation. The project explores how diverse course delivery contexts influence students’ pathways into and through higher education.

Associate Dean of Student Equity & Special Programs, Cuesta College

PhD, University of Southern California, Urban Education Policy, 2012
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Pullias Center for Higher Education, 2015

Espinoza-Wade was a postdoctoral research associate at the Pullias Center for Higher Education, working with Drs. Adrianna Kezar, Darnell Cole, Kristan Venegas and Tatiana Melguizo.”

Espinoza-Wade earned her BA in American studies from University of California, Berkeley. Thereafter, she completed a ME in postsecondary administration and student affairs from the University of Southern California where she also earned a PhD in urban education policy. Her research focuses on the college experiences and outcomes of racial and ethnic minority (REM) students, first-generation college students, and REM students in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. She has given multiple presentations at national conferences and has published her research in peer-reviewed journals. Espinoza-Wade was a Gates Scholar from 2002-2012, a 2012 Ford Fellow, and a 2015 semifinalist for the Outstanding Dissertation Competition of the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education & Educational Testing Services.

Faculty Developer and Graduate Program Coordinator, University of California, Davis

PhD, Urban Education Policy, University of Southern California, 2015

Monica Christina Esqueda is a member of the Learning and Teaching Support (LTS) unit at the Center for Educational Effectiveness (CEE). Prior to joining CEE, Monica was an assistant professor of higher education and community college leadership at Old Dominion University. As a faculty member, she served as the advisor for Higher Education Politics & Economics (formerly Academic Perspectives in Higher Education), a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal for political scientist, social scientists and economists who explore the politics and economics of higher education. She also served as co-investigator for three Department of Defense Education Activity grants and was recognized by Student Engagement and Enrollment Services for her teaching and service.

At CEE, Esqueda continues to explore and build upon her research and teaching expertise, which include the conditions and contexts that promote access, wellbeing and success across secondary and postsecondary learning environments; undergraduate and graduate student development; underserved student populations; research design; and quantitative and mixed method research. Monica has published work in Educational Researcher, Review of Educational Research and Teachers College Record. She was also invited to participate in the White House Convening of Operation Educate the Educators and the Los Angeles convening of the White House Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics Enriching America through the 21st Century.

PhD, University of Southern California, Urban Education Policy, 2016

Kristen Fong was a senior researcher for the RP Group where she is involved in a number of equity focus groups and currently leads a research project that aims to identify strategies for increasing transfer among “high-leverage” learners–students who have completed all or most of their transfer requirements but who do not make it through the transfer gate.

Prior to working at the RP Group, she was a research analyst at Cerritos College. Fong’s postsecondary research has focused on policy-relevant topics related to California Community Colleges, from the Completion Agenda and its relation to developmental education, to examining statewide resource allocation models that may meet both equity and efficiency goals. Her dissertation titled, A Multi-Perspective Examination of Developmental Education: Student Progression, Institutional Assessment and Placement Policies, and Statewide Regulations, was awarded the RP Award for Excellence in Thesis/Dissertation in 2016.

She earned her BA in Economics and Psychology from Claremont McKenna College, an M.A. in Psychology from California State University, Fullerton, and a PhD in Urban Education Policy from the University of Southern California.

Project Policy Analyst, University of California, Office of the President (UCOP)

Ph.D., Education, University of Southern California, 2011
Research Assistant, Pullias Center for Higher Education, 2007–2010
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Pullias Center for Higher Education, 2011–2013

Lisa Garcia currently works in University of California Office of the President as an analyst providing guidance to University administrators and faculty leaders on transfer admission policies and initiatives. Prior to joining UCOP, Garcia was the assistant director of the Pullias Center for Higher Education where she managed outreach programs for first-generation college students, and researched California’s postsecondary admissions policies and programs aimed at expanding access to historically underrepresented students. She began her career in the undergraduate admissions office at University of California, Los Angeles, where she worked closely with administrative leaders on special projects, admissions, outreach, and enrollment planning.

Director of the Office of Educational Assessment, Adjunct Faculty, University of Washington

Assistant Professor of Higher Education Administration and Leadership at Fresno State University

PhD, University of Southern California, Higher Education, 2023

Ángel de Jesus González, Ed.D. (he/they/elle) is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education Administration and Leadership at Fresno State University. While a postdoctoral scholar at Pullias, he supported the creation of the Change Leadership Toolkit (CLT) funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and curriculum development for the Building Capacity Campus webinar series funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

As a self-identified first-generation queer, Latinx, joto, he engages their scholarship through critical paradigms and both qualitative and quantitative methods. Dr. González’s research agenda includes three strands; 1) examining the conditions, experiences, and outcomes for QT students; 2) Latinx Leadership and organizational change; and 3) equity policy implementation, all at community colleges.

Assistant Professor, Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy and Development, College of Education and Human Development, University of South Florida

PhD, University of Southern California, Urban Education Policy, 2009

Jarrett Gupton is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education and Student Affairs in the College of Education at the University of South Florida. His areas of expertise are in higher education policy and qualitative research methodologies. Mr. Gupton’s research agenda has two broad foci: equity and opportunity in higher education. Much of his work focuses on the experience of housing and food insecure students and issues of access, persistence, and completion in higher and postsecondary education. He has authored multiple publications on students experiencing homelessness, food insecurity, and foster care alumni in college. His scholarship highlights how social, cultural, and political structures constrain and enable educational equity and opportunity. His current research explores institutional capacity to support housing and food insecure students.

Professor of Education in LaFetra College of Education at the University of La Verne

Research Associate, Phd 2009

Ronald Hallett is a professor of education in the LaFetra College of Education at the University of LaVerne. Hallett's research focuses on how to improve opportunities for at-promise students to access and succeed in higher education. His research interests include: (1) how to support underserved student groups, including those who are homeless or housing insecure, undocumented, and formerly in foster care; (2) the influence of comprehensive support programs in improving at-promise students' academic and psychosocial outcomes; and, (3) how to create institutional policies and structures that enable educators to improve at-promise students' academic experiences and outcomes.

Hallett serves as the lead qualitative researcher on the Pullias Center’s Promoting At-Promise Student Success (PASS) Project.

Assistant Professor in the Department of Advanced Studies, Leadership, and Policy and the School of Education and Urban Studies at Morgan State University

Research assistant at the Pullias Center for Higher Education and a Ph.D. student in the Urban Education Policy program at USC Rossier School of Education

Jordan Harper is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Advanced Studies, Leadership, and Policy and the School of Education and Urban Studies at Morgan State University. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California, Rossier School of Education (Urban Education Policy Program). Before his doctoral studies, he worked in higher education/student affairs in leadership development, first-year programs, community engagement, and undergraduate admissions. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Individualized Study at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).

Harper’s research focuses on leadership, work/labor, and organizational change in higher education. He uses qualitative methodologies to explore these interests. His work can be found in higher education journals such as the Peabody Journal of Education, About Campus, and the Journal of Leadership Education. He is also co-author of the forthcoming book Higher Education Leadership: Challenging Tradition and Forging Possibilities (Johns Hopkins University Press, January 2024).

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Northern Arizona University, College of Education

PhD, Urban Education Policy, University of Southern California, 2022

Theresa E. Hernandez earned their PhD from the University of Southern California and is currently a postdoc at Northern Arizona University. Her research combines intersectionality and organizational theories to examine the design and implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work in academia. In particular, Hernandez has explored how participation in grant-funded higher education DEI initiatives manifest or impede intersectional equity, institutional transformation, and social justice. Their work underscores how systemic and organizational processes impact the day to day lived experiences of marginalized populations in higher education, with a particular focus on women of color.

Professor of Higher Education, The University of Alabama

PhD, Higher Education, 2006

Karri Holley is Professor of Higher Education at The University of Alabama. Her articles have been included in Educational Researcher, Higher Education, Innovative Higher Education, Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, Studies in Higher Education and Journal of Higher Education. She previously worked in graduate admissions at Pepperdine University; was a research assistant at the Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis (now the Pullias Center) at USC; and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine. Holley is the former chair of the Special Interest Group for Graduate and Postdoctoral Education for the American Educational Research Association. She is currently co-PI of a USAID-funded effort to strengthen higher education systems in Pakistan, and lead evaluator for an NSF NRT program on interdisciplinary hydrologic graduate programs.

Assistant Professor, Educational Leadership, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

PhD, University of Southern California, Urban Education Policy, 2020

A Rossier Dean’s Fellow in the Urban Education Policy PhD program at USC Rossier School of Education, Liane Hypolite was a research assistant at the Pullias Center for Higher Education and the Center for Education, Identity and Social Justice. She currently is an assistant professor at California State Polytechnic University.

Ph.D., University of Southern California,Urban Education Policy, 2015

Dr. Constance Iloh is a visual artist, photographer, anthropologist, and qualitative methodologist. Through film and digital photography, Iloh celebrates the power and potential of the still image. A persistent chronicler of themes of light, darkness, oppression, culture, style, faith, and humanity; Constance has been featured by Photo Vogue, Forbes, the Tavis Smiley Show, and National Public Radio (NPR). Constance’s work includes portraiture, editorial photography, photojournalism, fashion photography, fine art photography, and street photography. She is also the author of works such as the seminal, “Do It for the Culture: The Case for Memes in Qualitative Research” in the International Journal of Qualitative Methods.

Constance was an exhibiting artist in the February 2023, “Our Truths, Be Told” art exhibition at Sovern sponsored by the Los Angeles Center for Photography.

Professor of Higher Education
Asuza Pacific University

PhD, University of Southern California, Higher Education, 2000
Research Associate, Pullias Center for Higher Education, 2008-2016

Alexander Jun is a professor of higher education at Azusa Pacific University. He teaches doctoral courses in diversity and social justice, as well as qualitative methods. Alex is a TEDx speaker and scholar in residence in Cambodia, Australia, and Korea. He is the author of several books. He is the author of From Here to University: Access, Mobility, and Resilience Among Urban Latino Youth (2001), White Out: Understanding White Privilege and Dominance in the Modern Age (2017), White Jesus: The Architecture of Racism in Religion and Education in (2018), White Evolution: The Constant Struggle for Racial Consciousness (2020), and Global White Supremacy: Anti-Blackness and the University as Colonizer (2022).

Assistant Professor, San Diego State University 

PhD, Urban Education Policy, University of Southern California, 2019

Suneal Kolluri was a research assistant at the Pullias Center for Higher Education and a Rossier Dean’s Fellow in the Urban Education Policy PhD program at USC Rossier School of Education.

Kolluri was advised by William G. Tierney and Zoë B. Corwin. He earned his bachelor’s degree from University of California, Los Angeles, and his master’s from Stanford University. His research interests include college access and persistence for low-income youth and underrepresented youth of color, specifically how K-12 schools can promote equitable interactions between diverse students and affect 4-year college-going outcomes for marginalized populations.

Prior to attending USC, he was a high school social studies teacher for ten years — nine in Oakland public schools, and one as a student teacher in San Francisco Unified School District as a student teacher in the Stanford Teacher Education Program. He has received a number of accolades for exemplary teaching.

Director of Policy Development, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

PhD, University of Southern California, Urban Education Policy, 2015

Holly Kosiewicz is the director of policy development at The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Assistant Professor of Higher Education, University of North Georgia

Ph.D., University of Southern California, 2013-2017
Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Southern California, 2017-2019

Michael Lanford is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education at the University of North Georgia. His research explores the social dimensions of education, with specific attention to equity, globalization, institutional innovation, organizational culture, and qualitative methods. In 2022, his first book, Creating a Culture of Mindful Innovation in Higher Education, was published by SUNY Press. Dr. Lanford has edited special issues on life history methods for Qualitative Inquiry and global higher education partnerships for the Journal of Comparative and International Higher Education. Additionally, Dr. Lanford has published approximately 30 articles and book chapters for publications such as the American Educational Research Journal, Educational Forum, Educational Philosophy and Theory, Higher Education, and Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research.

Associate Professor, Educational Administration and Human Resource Development, Texas A&M University

Doctor of Education, University of Southern California, Educational Leadership, 2005

Vicente Lechuga received his doctorate of education from the University of Southern California in 2005. He joined the Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource Development at Texas A&M University in fall 2005. Lechuga teaches graduate level courses in higher education administration, higher education policy and diversity issues in postsecondary institutions. He has published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and authored and/or edited three books. His most recent book, “Qualitative Inquiry in Higher Education Organization and Policy Research” (Routledge, 2017) focuses on innovative ways to conduct qualitative research with regard to higher education policy and organizations. Lechuga currently chairs 10 doctoral committees, 12 master’s committees, and serves on several others.

Vice Dean and Professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education

PhD, Education, University of Southern California, 2006

Jaime Lester is the Vice Dean and Professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education. Prior to Hopkins, she served as a faculty member and Associate Dean in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at George Mason University. Her research examines organizational change and leadership in higher education with a focus on faculty affairs and development. Her work focuses on leadership to promote local and institutional change to create equitable workplaces in colleges and universities. Her more recent research on learning analytics and pedagogy promotes new data-driven evidence to catalyze changes in pedagogy, instructional practice, and leadership decision-making.

Assistant Director for Student Leadership and Development, JEP (Joint Educational Project), University of Southern California

PhD, University of Southern California, Urban Education Policy, 2015

Sable Manson is the assistant director for student leadership and development for JEP (Joint Educational Project) at the University of Southern California. In this role, she supports JEP program assistants, coordinates with faculty, and provides professional development experiences for student leaders.

Born and raised in Southern California, Sable attended Loyola Marymount University where she earned her bachelor’s in television production. While at LMU, Sable discovered her true passion for education and went on to complete a master’s in post-secondary administration and student affairs from USC. Sable received her PhD from USC’s Rossier School of Education in 2015; her dissertation focused on an interfaith service-learning program called Souljourners.

Executive Director, The Next Step Public Charter School, Washington, DC

PhD, University of Southern California, Urban Education Policy, 2012

Spanning both secondary and postsecondary educational institutions, Jonathan Mathis focuses his work in four key areas: educational leadership; organizational strategy; educational entrepreneurship and innovation; as well as college access and success. Currently, Mathis provides vision and leadership for a learning community serving over 400 opportunity youth (ages 16-24, previously disconnected from school or work) as they re-engage with secondary education and prepare for college and career aspirations. Prior to this appointment, he served as the inaugural director of the National Honor Societies at the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) where his efforts impacted nearly 2 million students, advisers, and school leaders annually. Mathis has also served as the director of education and training at the National Association for College Admission Counseling, where he was responsible for the professional learning and leadership preparation for more than 14,000 college admission professionals. He earned his PhD in Urban Education Policy at the University of Southern California, where he also served as an adjunct assistant professor in the Rossier School of Education. Mathis has also earned a bachelor of science in business administration from American University (DC), and a master of science in administration for educational administration (K-12) from Trinity Washington University (DC).

Chief of Staff, University of Northern Colorado 

PhD, University of Southern California, Urban Education Policy, 2015

Daniel Maxey is a provost’s fellow in the Office of the Provost at Santa Clara University, where he manages special projects to support the academic priorities of the senior administration, including the university’s STEM Initiative. Previously, Dan was a Dean’s Fellow in urban education policy at the USC Rossier School of Education, where he was a research assistant at the Pullias Center for Higher Education. Dan holds a bachelor’s with a concentration in government from The College of William and Mary in Virginia, a master’s of education in higher and postsecondary education from the Mary Lou Fulton Institute and Graduate School of Education at Arizona State University, and a PhD in urgan education policy from the USC Rossier School of Education.

Lecturer, Stanford University

Previous post-doc researcher at Pullias 2021-2022

Dr. McCoy is a Lecturer in the Civic, Liberal, and Global Education program at Stanford University. McCoy’s research agenda focuses on the intersection between education and diplomacy; cultural anthropology, and transnationalism. Dr. McCoy's first book (under contract), entitled:"From Congo to GONGO: Higher Education, Critical Geopolitics, and the New Red Scare '' is one of the winners of the 2021 Emerging Scholars Competition in Black Studies. With a focus on Africa and Russia, this book examines the soft power initiatives underpinning foreign relations between Africa and Eurasia. A Fulbright scholar (2015-2016, Russia), McCoy has also worked as a racial justice research strategist at Harvard University. Dr. McCoy earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Northwestern University and a Ph.D. from UCLA in Education.

Chancellor, Southern Illinois University

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Pullias Center for Higher Education, 2001-2004

James T. Minor, Ph.D. serves as the 10th Chancellor at Southern Illinois University. Previously, he was the Assistant Vice Chancellor and Senior Strategist in the Office of the Chancellor at the California State University (CSU). ​ James was appointed to provide leadership to advance Graduation Initiative 2025, an ambitious institutional commitment to dramatically improve degree completion rates, facilitate faculty innovation, implement major systemwide policy reform and to improve legislative provisions for student success.

James also served as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Postsecondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education. He was appointed by the Obama administration to provide overall leadership and administration for federal programs designed to expand access to higher education, strengthen institutional capacity and to promote postsecondary innovation. He was responsible for administering programs available for postsecondary institutions such as the State College Access Challenge Grants, GEAR-UP, Title III and Title V programs, The Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), TRIO and others totaling nearly $3 billion dollars annually. Under his leadership, the Higher Education Program office was responsible for more than $7.5 billion in active programming across the nation and U.S. territories.

Prior to joining the U.S. Department of Education, Dr. Minor served as the Director of Higher Education Programs at the Southern Education Foundation in Atlanta, Georgia while holding a faculty appointment at the Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia. He served previously as an associate professor of higher education policy at Michigan State University and a Research Associate in the Pullias Center for Higher Education at the University of Southern California.

A native of Detroit, Dr. Minor earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Jackson State University, a M.A. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Educational Policy Analysis and Leadership. In 2010 he received the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Education. His scholarly work has focused on academic governance, higher education policy and improving institutional performance. He is also a recognized thought-leader on higher education policy development as well as issues related to improving degree completion nationally. He has published numerous articles in journals such as the Review of Higher Education, Educational Researcher, Thought & Action, Academe, New Directions for Higher Education, and the American Educational Research Journal.

Assistant Professor of Higher Education, University of Nevada Las Vegas

PhD, University of Southern California, Urban Education Policy, 2017

Federick Ngo is an assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He teaches in the master’s and doctoral programs in higher education. His research examines higher education policy, college transitions and the role of math in higher education. Prior to University of Southern California and academia, Ngo taught high school math in Oakland, California.

Assistant Professor of Education, University of Findlay

PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Curriculum and Instruction, 2015
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Pullias Center for Higher Education, 2015-2017

Amanda Ochsner is a former research associate at the Pullias Center.

Vice President of Student Affairs, California State University, San Bernardino

PhD, University of Southern California, Educational Policy, 2006

Paz Oliverez is the Vice President of Student Affairs at California State University, San Bernadino.

Senior Research Associate, Westat

Postdoctoral Scholar, Office of the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning, University of California Irvine

PhD, University of Southern California, Urban Education Policy, 2019

Elizabeth S. Park is currently a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Office of the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning at University of California, Irvine. Her research interests include STEM education, higher education policy, and community colleges.

PhD, Urban Education Policy, University of Southern California, 2016

At USC, Shirley researched the association between higher education structures and student loan default rate. She is currently devoting time to raise awareness and funds for the Orthopedic Institute for Children in downtown Los Angeles by training to run seven marathons on seven continents in seven consecutive days in late January 2019.

Associate Dean of Strategic Initiatives, University of California, Riverside

PhD, University of Southern California, Urban Education Policy, 2014

Raquel M. Rall is an associate professor of higher education at the University of California, Riverside. Prior to that appointment she was a UC Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow. She is a graduate of the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education where she earned her PhD in urban education policy. She obtained bachelor of arts degrees in human biology and African and African American studies from Stanford University. Her research is concentrated in two major areas: 1) leadership and governance of higher education and 2) college access. Within these two areas, Rall strives to identify best practices to increase access to and success in higher education for traditionally marginalized communities and on bridging research and practice. Rall has presented her work at national conferences including the Association for the Study of Higher Education, the American Educational Research Association, and the Association of Governing Boards. Her work has been published in the Journal of Negro Education and the Journal of Higher Education Management and has been funded by the Spencer Foundation and the University of California.

Associate Professor, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Ph.D. Urban Education Policy 2013

Stefani Relles holds a joint appointment as an Associate Professor of Qualitative Methods and Higher Education. Situated at the nexus of these two fields, her research uses sociological frameworks and innovative methods to investigate institutional barriers to student success across K-12 and postsecondary settings. Current interests include the use of interdisciplinary, cinematic, and participatory action methods to transform not only how and by whom research is conducted, but also how and for whom findings are formatted and distributed. Most recently, as a member of the USC Skate Studies team, in collaboration with her Pullias colleagues, Relles helped pilot a systematic method of community-based data analyses. Findings suggest that cinematic data (captured using personal mobile technologies) were uniquely suited to retain and protect an emic perspective.

Director of Equity Assessment and Evaluation, Division of Student Affairs and Success, University of California, Santa Cruz

Postdoctoral Scholar 2017-2021

Dr. Gwendelyn Rivera is the Director of Equity Assessment and Evaluation in the Division of Student Affairs and Success. She earned her Ph.D. in Human Development Psychology from the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Rivera is a mixed-methods researcher with a focus on how institutional policies and practices affect at promise students’ achievements and psychosocial outcomes.
Dr. Rivera has extensive experience in research and data analysis at large research institutions, previously serving as Research Project Administrator at the Pullias Center of Higher Education, University of Southern California, where she was a research team member on a longitudinal, mixed-method evaluation study of a comprehensive college transition program aimed at first-generation and low-income college students. Her applied and evaluation expertise stems from her work in offices of student affairs and institutional research and the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing. She has disseminated research findings for campus and community practitioners and university leadership. Dr. Rivera has published scholarly articles and peer-reviewed book chapters. She has presented her work at academic research conferences and practitioner conferences.
Dr. Rivera’s dedication to issues of college access, student success, and equity are driven from her experiences as a first-generation college graduate and immigrant.

Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Wisconsin-Madison

PhD., Urban Education Policy, University of Southern California, 2022

Aireale Joi Rodgers is a former research assistant at the Pullias Center for Higher Education and a PhD graduate of the Urban Education Policy program at USC Rossier School of Education. She was advised by Julie Posselt. Currently, Aireale Rodgers is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on the HEAL Project. She will continue to build a program of research using sociocultural learning theories and critical theories of racialization to examine how people and organizations learn. Specifically, she plans to explore how interpersonal and organizational learning can be organized and remediated to facilitate race-conscious, justice-oriented institutional change in higher education.

Director, Outreach, Rural Initiatives & Adult EducationDirector, Outreach, Rural Initiatives & Adult Education, Bakersfield College

PhD, University of Southern California, Urban Education Policy, 2015

Bryan Rodríguez has over 10 years of experience as a higher education professional. His work has focused on higher education administration, education research, student affairs, and teaching in higher education. He has published peer-reviewed articles and book chapters addressing important topics related to college access, higher education policy, degree completion, and student persistence among Latina/o students. Dr. Rodríguez received his PhD from the University of Southern California in urban education policy. He holds a master’s degree in education policy and management from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in international development from UCLA.

Assistant Research Professor at the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce in the McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University

PhD, University of Southern California, Urban Education Policy, 2015

Jenna Sablan is an Assistant Research Professor at the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce in the McCourt School of Public Policy. Her research focuses on college access, higher education policy, and K–12 to higher education transition. She previously served as the inaugural 2016–17 American Educational Research Association (AERA)/American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Congressional Fellow on the Senate Budget Committee, where she worked on college affordability policy. She has also held postdoctoral and institutional research positions at University of Maryland and Loyola Marymount University. Dr. Sablan received her Ph.D. in Urban Education Policy and M.A. in Economics from University of Southern California, and her B.A. in Political Science, B.A. in Social Policy, and Certificate in Advanced Leadership Studies from American University, where she was a Ronald E. McNair Scholar.

Professor (as of Sept 2023), University at Buffalo

Ph.D. in Urban Education, 2008 (Graduate Certificate in Gender Studies)

Margaret’s research focuses on the ways in which faculty, staff, and students navigate their personal and professional (or academic) lives and the role that institutional and national policies play in facilitating or hindering success in both realms. She is particularly concerned with the growth of ideal worker norms in student affairs and the professoriate, suggesting that employees work all the time and neglect their personal lives. Her recent books on the topic include Creating Sustainable Careers in Student Affairs (Stylus Press, 2021) and Faculty Fathers (SUNY Press, 2014). Her second line of inquiry focuses explicitly on low-income student-parents; she recently received grants from the Spencer Foundation and Jewish Foundation for Education of Women to fund further work in this area.

Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Rowan University

PhD, Urban Education, University of Southern California, 2012

Dr. Sam is a qualitative researcher whose current focus is on the nexus of ethics, faculty work, and educational policy that spans K-20 contexts. She is currently interested in how discourse and technology shape our understanding of education, and the ways to explore that connection. Her previous work includes studies on non-tenure track faculty in higher education and unethical leadership in K-12. Prior to joining Rowan, she was a research specialist at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Sam holds a B.A. in Philosophy and English, an M.A., in Philosophy, and an M.A., Education from Loyola Marymount University. She received her Ph.D., Urban Education, from the University of Southern California.

University of California Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Education, University of California, Los Angeles

PhD, Urban Education, University of Southern California, 2022

Dr. Deborah E. Southern is a University of California Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow with the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies and Higher Education & Organizational Change program at UCLA. As a postdoc working with Dr. Mitchell Chang, she builds upon her dissertation findings to further learn how leaders notice and disrupt whiteness within their graduate schools and programs. Formerly Dr. Southern was a research assistant at the Pullias Center for Higher Education and a Rossier Dean’s Fellow in the Urban Education Policy PhD program at USC Rossier School of Education.

Senior Research Manager, Center for Education Policy Research, Harvard University

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Pullias Center for Higher Education, 2019-2021

Elise Swanson is a Senior Research Manager at CEPR, where she supports the analytic work for multiple projects. Prior to joining CEPR, Elise was a Senior Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Pullias Center for Higher Education at the University of Southern California. At USC, she evaluated programs and policies designed to improve college access and student success in community college and four-year universities.

Assistant Professor of Education
University of California Santa Barbara

Ph.D. Urban Education Policy 2018

Antar A. Tichavakunda received his Ph.D. in Urban Education Policy from the University of Southern California. Prior to his doctoral studies, Tichavakunda worked as an 11th grade English teacher in DC Public Schools. Using qualitative inquiry, Tichavakunda has engaged in research on college readiness, Black students’ experiences at predominantly White institutions, and more broadly the sociology of race and higher education. His first book, Black Campus Life: The Worlds Black Students Make at a Historically White Institution, is published with SUNY Press. Tichavakunda enjoys watching anime, eating soul food (especially savory grits), and writing in cafes.

Chief Learning, Data, and Evaluation Officer

USC, PhD, 2005

Kristan M. Venegas, PhD is the Chief Learning, Data, and Evaluation Officer at the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation. She is a former associate provost and LaFetra Endowed Professor of Teaching and Learning at the University of La Verne. Previously, she was a Professor of Clinical Education and Assistant Dean of Strategic Initiatives at the USC Rossier School of Education. She is an expert in the areas of college access and advising, financial aid policy, and higher education leadership. She has collaborated with non-profit, government, and educational systems in the US, Mexico, Canada, and the UK. Her work has been published for research and practitioner audiences over the last twenty years. She is a former American Council on Education Fellow and is an alumna of the HOPE (Hispañas Organized for Political Equality) Leadership Institute.
As a Ph.D. student in the USC Pullias Center, she was a James Irvine Minority Doctoral Fellow, ASHE/Lumina Dissertation Fellow, and USC Latino American Alumni Association Scholar.

Institutional Research Associate, Institutional Research and Decision Support, Loyola Marymount University

PhD, University of Southern California, Urban Education Policy, 2022

David Velasquez is a Institutional Research Associate at Loyola Marymount University’s Institutional Research and Decision Support. Prior to that, Velasquez was a research assistant at the Pullias Center for Higher Education and a Gates Millennium Scholar in the Urban Education Policy PhD program at USC Rosier School of Education.

Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership, Northern Arizona University

PhD, University of Southern California, Urban Education Policy, 2020

Cynthia D. Villarreal is an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at Northern Arizona University. Previously, she was a visiting assistant professor at University of California, Riverside. Villarreal was a postdoctoral research associate in the Pullias Center for Higher Education at the Rossier School of Education. She is an interdisciplinary scholar who challenges issues of equity in higher education by examining and interrogating organizational processes, policies, structures, and culture through a race-conscious and feminist lens. She considers herself a qualitative researcher and storyteller in/on the borderlands who prioritizes counternarratives to critique and transform higher education.

Researcher, ITHAKA S + R

PhD, University of Southern California, Higher Education Policy, 2014
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Pullias Center for Higher Education, 2018

James Dean Ward is a senior researcher at Ithaka S+R on the Educational Transformation team. His work focuses on federal and state higher education regulatory, funding, and financial aid policies. James earned a BA in economics and history from Cornell University and a PhD in higher education policy from the University of Southern California. James has published and presented work on state financial aid programs, performance-based funding policies, for-profit college regulation, institutional finance, and equity in postsecondary opportunities. In addition to serving as a research assistant in the Pullias Center for Higher Education, James was a postdoc research fellow at the University of Southern California. Prior to graduate school, James conducted research on postsecondary finance at the National Association of College and University Business Officers and served as an institutional researcher at Harvard University. As a higher education consultant for ASR Analytics and Hanover Research, he worked on projects related to institutional aid policies, program development, admissions and recruitment practices, and institutional economic and community impact.

Assistant Dean & Director of Scripps Communities of Resources & Empowerment, Independent Consultant & Adjunct Professor

PhD, c/o 2019 Urban Education Policy | Postdoctoral Scholar at Center for Urban Education

Marissiko earned her B.A. in Social Ecology from UC Irvine before going on to attain her M.A. in Higher Education/Student Personnel Administration from New York University. During her career as a practitioner in higher education, Marissiko has worked in a variety of areas including multicultural services, social justice education, service-learning, leadership development and residence life. Marissiko committed the majority of her academic career deepening her knowledge and understanding of identity, critical consciousness building and activism. In 2019, she completed her Ph.D in Urban Education Policy at the University of Southern California. Her research and practice specialize in equity-oriented leadership, identity development and organizational change.

Marissiko is currently the Assistant Dean and Director of Scripps Community of Resources and Empowerment (SCORE) at Scripps College — a women’s college in Claremont, California. Marissiko also works as an independent consultant, active community organizer, and Adjunct Professor.

Academic Director, Institutional Research and Data Analytics, USC Marshall School of Business

PhD, University of Southern California, Urban Education Policy, 2014

Ji received her Ph.D in education from USC. Ji’s research focuses on understanding and assessing how international and immigrant students succeed in college. Ji has published in peer-reviewed journals, including Higher Education, Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, Journal of General Education, Innovative Higher Education, and Journal of International Students. Applying research to practice, Ji started advising students since 2010. She is passionate about helping students not only get into but also succeed in college. When she is not advising students, Ji enjoys building statistical models to assess teaching and learning at USC Marshall School of Business, where she is the Associate Director of Institutional Research & Data Analytics. Before coming to the U.S., Ji was a college English teacher and received her BA and MA in English from Huazhong University of Science & Technology, China.

Professor of Education, University of Glasgow

PhD in Urban Education, 2009

Brianna Kennedy is a professor of education at the University of Glasgow, teaching in the teacher preparation and master programs. She attended UCLA’s Teacher Education Program, where she received a California multiple subject teaching credential with a Crosscultural, Language, and Academic Development (CLAD) Certificate (still current) and master’s in education. She taught middle school in the Los Angeles Unified School District for seven years. Brianna worked with students whose families had immigrated to the United States and who were learning English as a foreign language, as well as students who had been expelled from school for disciplinary infractions. 

She returned to graduate school in 2005 with the desire to investigate how to better support the historically and currently underserved and marginalized students. Brianna received her PhD in Urban Education from the University of Southern California in 2009 and worked as a researcher and teacher in higher education ever since.