Tracy Tambascia, the Veronica and David Hagen Chair in Women’s Leadership, embodies what it means to be a woman who leads

Professor of Higher Education, Tracy Tambascia, has spent ample time in various leadership roles throughout her career. And, all the while, she’s challenged traditional notions of what it means to be a leader. Rather than adopting the usual leadership traits like assertiveness and pushing hard for what you want—characteristics often described as masculine—Tambascia employs a different approach. She chooses to lead by listening and observing, and she passes on this nuanced approach and wisdom to the students she teaches in USC Rossier’s doctoral programs. 

In 2023, Tambascia was named the Veronica and David Hagen Chair in Women’s Leadership, a $3 million endowed position created by Veronica and David Hagen. The position was created in 2019 to support a chaired professor dedicated to the study of the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions and to provide coaching and mentoring to other women to help even the gender imbalance in education leadership.

Tambascia embodies the goals the Hagen’s have for women’s leadership in education. She was the first woman of color elected to serve as president of the USC Academic Senate and, prior to her appointment at USC Rossier, has held many prestigious positions in higher education including vice president of student affairs and dean of students at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, and dean of students at Whittier College. 

“Serving as the Veronica and David Hagen Chair in Women’s Leadership has given me an opportunity to focus on research and practices around women’s leadership, offering a platform and a reason to speak more directly to the very issues I have championed my whole career,” Tambascia said.

Over the past year, Tambascia has been named an American Council on Education Fellow and launched the USC Rossier Hagen Women’s Leadership Fellowship, which aims “to strengthen pathways to professional success and attainment for EdD students focused through opportunities to attend or present at professional conferences,” Tambascia said.

“I cannot think of anyone better to be in this prestigious, chaired position. Throughout her career, Tracy has developed her own effective style of leadership that challenges the status quo and gets things done. We’re honored to count her among our faculty at USC Rossier,” said USC Rossier Dean Pedro Noguera.

Veronica Hagen is a previous president and CEO of Polymer Group Inc., and her husband David Hagen ’67, MA ’68, EdD ’93, is a former member of the USC Rossier Board of Councilors and retired superintendent of the Huntington Beach Unigh High School District. They are longtime supporters of the USC Rossier School of Education and champions of the school’s mission to achieve educational equity.