AERA has selected Julie Posselt, professor of education in the Rossier School of Education and Pullias Center for Higher Education and associate dean of the USC Graduate School, as a 2025 AERA Fellow. AERA is the oldest and largest educational research association in the world. It established its fellowship program in 2007 to honor scholars with substantial research.
Posselt is among 29 new Fellows who will be joining 762 current Fellows. “The 2025 AERA Fellows join a brilliant group of scholars, and they are most deserving of this honor,” said AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine in the organization’s announcement. “Their significant contributions to the education research field demonstrate the highest standards of academic excellence and scholarship.” Posselt received the prestigious AERA Early Career Award in 2018.
Posselt’s research agenda is rooted in sociological and organizational theory, examining institutionalized inequalities in higher education and organizational efforts, and using mixed methods aimed at reducing inequities and encouraging diversity. She focuses on selective sectors of higher education — graduate education, STEM fields and elite undergraduate institutions — where longstanding practices and cultural norms are being negotiated to better identify talent and educate students in a changing society.
Posselt founded and directs Pullias’ Equity in Graduate Education Consortium, a national professional learning community of 24 universities and graduate programs that are focused on building capacity for systemic change, while adhering to a changing legal context. She is the author or co-editor of three books, including Equity in Science: Representation, Culture, and the Dynamics of Change in Graduate Education (2020 Stanford University Press). In total, Posselt has been awarded more than $20 million in grants and contracts over her career.
“This prestigious recognition highlights Julie Posselt and her exceptional contributions to the field of education research,” said USC Rossier Dean Pedro Noguera. “Her outstanding work continues to shape the field, and this honor is a testament to her dedication, excellence and leadership. We are fortunate to have her as a part of our USC Rossier community, and I look forward to seeing the continued impact of her work on education.”
In 2024, Posselt assumed the helm at USC’s Center for Enrollment Research, Policy and Practice (CERPP) as Executive Director, where she leads the Center’s efforts centered on building equity and expertise in enrollment management, especially admissions.
“Being selected as an AERA Fellow underscores the importance of the work we do at the Pullias Center for Higher Education and CERPP,” said Posselt. “Our shared mission is the bridge the gap between research and practice, so the best current evidence is accessible and actionable to educators, policymakers and students alike.”
Pullias Center Director Adrianna Kezar, herself a 2015 AERA Fellow, noted “I’m so proud of my colleague for receiving this recognition of her groundbreaking scholarship. We are so lucky to have her as part of the Pullias Center and look forward to seeing more of her intellectual contributions.”
In addition to Kezar, several current and former USC Rossier faculty members are AERA fellows, including Pullias founding director William G. Tierney, Estela Mara Bensimon, Robert Rueda, Gale Sinatra and William G. Tierney. Rossier professor Erika Patall was also named as a 2025 AERA Fellow.
Posselt and the 2025 AERA Fellow cohort will be officially inducted during a special ceremony at the association’s annual meeting in Denver, CO on April 24.
