Adrianna Kezar elected to the National Academy of Education

USC Rossier is proud to announce that Adrianna Kezar, the Dean’s Professor of Leadership and the Wilbur-Kieffer Professor of Higher Education, has been elected to membership in the National Academy of Education (NAEd).

“I am honored to join the National Academy of Education and to contribute to its mission of building and mobilizing knowledge to improve education,” said Professor Kezar, who is also co-director of the Pullias Center for Higher Education. “I see this membership as both a recognition and a responsibility to continue advancing research that supports more equitable and effective educational systems.”

Founded in 1965, the NAEd advances high-quality, peer-reviewed research to improve education policy and practice. Membership is by election and recognizes scholars and leaders for outstanding contributions to educational scholarship or educational practice. The academy serves as a trusted voice in education research, convening leading researchers, practitioners and policymakers to shape a transformative agenda for students, families, educators and institutions.

Recognized for her scholarship on higher education leadership, organizational change, equity and institutional transformation, Kezar’s election to the NAEd reflects her sustained impact on the field and her commitment to research that informs policy and practice across higher education organizations and campuses. As a member of the NAEd, she will contribute to the Academy’s mission through participation in studies, convenings and initiatives that promote the use of rigorous research in educational practice. She will be formally inducted during the Academy’s Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, in November 2026.

“We are incredibly proud of Adrianna and this well-deserved recognition,” said USC Rossier Dean Pedro Noguera, who was inducted into NAEd in 2014. “Her leadership and scholarship continue to shape the national conversation on higher education reform and equity, and her election to the National Academy of Education is a powerful affirmation of that impact.”