Melbo Chair in Education Administration

Pedro A. Noguera is the Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean of the Rossier School of Education and a Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of Southern California. Prior to joining USC, Noguera served as a Distinguished Professor of Education at the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. Before joining the faculty at UCLA, he served as a tenured professor and holder of endowed chairs at New York University, Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of 15 books. His most recent books are Common Schooling: Conversations About the Tough Questions and Complex Issues Confronting K-12 Education in the United States Today (Teachers College Press winner of the Association of American Publishers 2022 Prose Award) with Rick Hess and City Schools and the American Dream: Still Pursuing the Dream (Teachers College Press) with Esa Syeed. In 2022 he was ranked 3rd in the nation for influence and impact in the field of education, by Education Week.

Maria Gutierrez Ott holds the Irving R. and Virginia A. Melbo Chair in Education Administration at the USC Rossier School of Education. In addition to her years as a classroom teacher and site and central office administrator, Dr. Ott served more than 40 years as an educator in K-12 urban systems. That includes, fourteen years as a superintendent and five years as senior deputy superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Her transition to higher education was an opportunity to apply her practitioner experiences to the preparation of leaders for school systems, colleges and universities, and other organizations.

In 2019, Dr. Ott was asked to advise LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner and his senior leadership team as Executive Mentor in Residence. Dr. Ott was approved to spend half of her USC assignment working directly with LAUSD leaders. This two-year experience moved Dr. Ott into the work of the second largest school district during major transformation of the district into a Communities of Schools structure. As an advisor to the leadership team, Dr. Ott provided connections between USC Rossier expertise and the work of the school system.

Ott designed and launched the USC Rossier Urban Superintendents Academy in 2015 in partnership with AASA to prepare diverse and equity-minded leaders for K-12 system leadership. She serves as a member of the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) Board of Directors to promote the goal of advancing diverse leaders who work to close opportunity and achievement gaps for Latino and youth of color. She was honored with the 2021-2022 ALAS Lifetime Achievement Award and received the USC Rossier Dean’s Superintendents Advisory Group (DSAG) Achievement Award in 2017. Ott is recognized for her leadership and advocacy for bilingual education and programs for English language learners, leadership development for women, and public-private partnerships in education. She is a founding member of the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators (CALSA).

Her work on cultural proficiency is detailed in her books, A Culturally Proficient Society Begins in School: Leadership for Equity (2011) and Now What? Confronting Uncomfortable Truths About Inequity in Schools (2023) with co-authors Carmella S. Franco and Darline P. Robles. Ott has presented to national audiences on the topic of her books and continues to contribute to the educational literature about the importance of cultural proficiency in closing achievement gaps. She is a member of the Ethical Educators Panel for AASA’s School Administrator Magazine and contributes ethical advice in response to real cases encountered by superintendents in their school districts.

Jerry Almendarez is a dedicated and innovative education leader with over 30 years of experience in public education. As the Superintendent of Santa Ana Unified School District, he oversees 41,500 students and more than 5,000 staff members, managing a budget of $890.6 million. His career is marked by progressive leadership, a commitment to student success, and the integration of technology in education. Jerry's journey in education began in the classroom, where firsthand experiences shaped his understanding of the diverse needs of students and the critical role of educators in nurturing their potential. This foundational period laid the groundwork for his rise through various roles of increasing responsibility, from school administrator to district leader. His leadership has been characterized by the successful implementation of initiatives that bridge the gap between traditional educational models and the demands of the 21st century.

At Santa Ana Unified, Jerry has led the rollout of a district graduate profile, facilitating conversations with district partners to ensure that the skills and competencies included aligned with the evolving needs of the workforce and higher education. This collaborative effort focuses on preparing students not only for academic success, but also for real-world challenges by equipping them with critical thinking skills, digital literacy, and interpersonal competencies crucial for thriving in the 21st century. In parallel, he spearheaded the development of the district's mission, vision, and values statement, establishing a framework that articulates a commitment to empathetic relationships and relevant experiences for well-rounded readiness in our multicultural world. The values of collaboration, perseverance, engagement, empathy, and inclusive equity became the cornerstone of this new direction.

Under his guidance, the Santa Ana Unified School District Board recently approved a comprehensive AI Guidance Policy, aiming to streamline operations, enhance learning experiences through personalized education, and improve decision-making processes and data-driven insights. Jerry's contributions to education have been recognized through numerous awards, and he remains dedicated to leading by example, embracing innovative solutions, and advocating for policies that ensure every student can achieve their full potential.

Stephen J. AguiIar is an Associate Professor of Education in the Educational Psychology concentration at the USC Rossier School of Education. His research focuses on investigating how educational technologies—both emerging and established—influence teaching, learning, and motivation. Dr. Aguilar studies the impact of generative AI in educational settings, the digital equity gap, and learning analytics applications. Currently, he is co-leading USC’s new Center for Generative AI and Society’s efforts to understand when and how generative AI is used by students and instructors in post-secondary settings.

His honors and awards include winning both the Wilbert J. McKeachie Early Career Award for Motivation in Education Research, and the AERA Division C Early Career Award. His work has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Army Research Office, among others. Dr. Aguilar’ has also given televised interviews on the digital equity gap in both English and Spanish, has been guest on NPR’s AirTalk, and has been interviewed by the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Bloomberg, and The Washington Post. His digital equity work during the pandemic also informed California Assembly Bill No. 1176, which provided much needed subsides for families in need of broadband internet. The resulting Affordable Connectivity Program has helped over 1 million families afford reliable high-speed internet during the pandemic and beyond.

Dr. Aguilar received a B.A. in Philosophy and Psychology from Georgetown University, a M.A. in the Humanities (Philosophy) from the University of Chicago, and a Ph.D. in Education and Psychology from the University of Michigan. Previously, he taught sixth and seventh grade in East Palo Alto, California and served as a the Director of Institute Technology for Teach For America-Los Angeles’s summer institute.