In a move that underscores its national leadership in equity and innovation, the USC Rossier School of Education has merged the Pullias Center for Higher Education and the Center for Enrollment Research, Policy and Practice (CERPP). This strategic unification brings together two of the most respected research centers in the country focused on higher education access, enrollment, student success and leadership.
The newly combined center, which will be known as the Pullias Center for Higher Education, will be co-directed by Professors Adrianna Kezar and Julie Posselt, both higher education research and policy scholars. Their leadership reflects the center’s unique strategy of intentionally connecting research, practice and policy, with a focus on changing systems that shape student access and success, from high school through doctoral education.
The merger strengthens USC Rossier’s ability to support institutions in removing barriers to postsecondary access and ensuring student success, according to USC Rossier Dean Pedro Noguera. “By uniting two respected centers, we are creating a powerful engine for innovation, policy influence and partnership—all in service of a more just and inclusive higher education system,” Noguera said.
“We have two long-standing centers doing synergistic work, and it became clear they would benefit from working more closely together,” said Kezar, who has served as the director of the Pullias Center since 2019 and co-director since 2005. “Campuses are increasingly trying to link their access initiatives with student success strategies, and this merger allows us to lead that conversation in bold new ways.”
“Enrollment management is how institutions bring their visions of access and success to life,” added Posselt, who took the helm as CERPP’s executive director in 2024. “CERPP’s deep roots in enrollment and Pullias’s leadership in access and success make them natural partners. Together, we’re creating a hub for systemic change in higher education.”
The combined center will maintain a strong focus on equity, capacity building for institutional improvement, and student-centered design, while expanding its scope to include deeper community partnerships, translational research and scalable innovations across the postsecondary pipeline. The programs and activities of CERPP will continue under the Pullias Center banner, including the USC College Advising Corps, the annual enrollment conference and the Leadership in Enrollment Management certificate program.
With both directors bringing systems-thinking approaches and extensive experience in research-practice partnerships, the Pullias Center is poised to drive scholarship and real-world impact on a larger scale than before. Among the Pullias Center’s new opportunities:
- Greater collaboration across research, policy and field-based work
- Expanded research access to schools, districts and higher ed institutions through the USC College Advising Corps
- A stronger foundation for training the next generation of higher education scholars and practitioners
Posselt emphasized the importance of relationships in ensuring research has a lasting impact. “Research must be accessible and actionable, but that’s not enough,” Posselt added. “You also need mutual trust and collaboration with institutions, policymakers and national organizations. Across our projects, we’ve built a wide network of partners—from disciplinary societies and advocacy groups to school districts and universities. This merger strengthens those ties.”
“Few centers combine deep expertise in both student access and success, while also maintaining close ties with practitioners,” said Kezar. “Our multidisciplinary team—spanning policy, psychology, sociology, leadership and organizational theory—brings a rare perspective that’s urgently needed in higher education today.”
The co-directors envision the Pullias Center becoming an even more visible and trusted leader in higher education over the next five years—supporting student success, influencing policy conversations and building sustainable partnerships that bridge long-standing divides between research, policy and practice.
“This center will have a tremendous impact on college access,” said Kezar. “We’ve been leading in this space for decades—and now, by more directly linking it to student success, we can do even more.”
“Academic centers are most powerful when they serve as true hubs for knowledge and change,” said Posselt. “With the support behind this merger, we’re building the capacity to deliver on that promise—and to lead a new era of equity-focused transformation in higher education.”
When it was established in 2007, CERPP’s goal was to bridge research, policy and enrollment practice to expand college opportunity. “Merging with the Pullias Center builds on that foundation and expands the reach of our work,” Founding Director Jerry Lucido, said, who is now an emeritus professor. “Together, this unified Center is uniquely positioned to shape a more equitable and effective higher education system—one that truly serves all students.”
Founded in 1995 by William Tierney as a USC Rossier research center focused on improving higher education policy and practice to serve the most underserved populations, the Earl and Pauline Pullias Center for Higher Education was established in 2012 with a generous bequest from Earl and Pauline Pullias estate. The gift ensures one of the world’s leading research centers on higher education will continue its tradition of focusing on research, policy and practice to improve the field of higher education.
Read more information about the merger in this Q&A with co-directors Adrianna Kezar and Julie Posselt.
For more information, contact Sheryl MacPhee (Pullias) or Ellen Evaristo (Rossier).
