SEPTEMBER 2026

FROM THE DIRECTORS

Dear Colleagues,



As we begin this new chapter together as directors of the Pullias Center, we do so at a moment when questions swirl about the purpose and value of higher education. Political pressure, rapid technological change and longstanding inequities are reshaping the landscape.

We are committed to helping institutions understand this evolving context, respond to it and shape what comes next. That means deepening research-practice partnerships, working across institutional silos and sectors, centering students whose experiences too often sit at the margins and making research more accessible and actionable.

This issue offers a glimpse of that work — from new tools for advancing shared equity leadership and data on California’s Black-Serving Institutions to the people and partnerships shaping the Center.

We are grateful to prior directors William Tierney, Adrianna Kezar and Julie Posselt, as well as the alumni, staff and collaborators whose scholarship and commitment have laid a strong foundation for this next chapter.

Thank you for engaging with our work and for your continued support.

Cordially,

Royel & Zoë

THE SPOTLIGHT

New Shared Equity Leadership

Start-Up Toolkit Now Available


A practical guide for moving equity work from a single office to shared institutional responsibility.

Shared Equity Leadership (SEL) is a collaborative approach to equity leadership in which responsibility for diversity, equity and inclusion work is shared broadly across campus — instead of siloed in a single office or under a single leader.

A new SEL Start-Up Toolkit is now available to campuses. The Toolkit gives campus leaders practical tools for broadening participation, navigating resistance and embedding equity-minded practices across roles, policies and structures. Join us for an October 7 webinar, "Laying the Foundation for SEL" to explore how campuses can put SEL into practice.

LATEST FROM PULLIAS

Dr. Federick Ngo Joins USC as Associate Professor

Ngo brings a strong research agenda focused on college access, equity and student success to USC Rossier and the Pullias Center.

Meet Dr. Ngo →

Explore California's Black-Serving Institutions

A new statewide dashboard lets users explore enrollment, outcomes and other data across California's 31 designated Black-Serving Institutions.

Explore the Dashboard →

Royel M. Johnson Named Editor of The Review of Higher Education

Following a national search, Johnson will lead ASHE's flagship journal as it approaches its 50th anniversary.

Read the Announcement →

UPCOMING EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES

WEBINAR: OCTOBER 7, 10AM PT

Laying the Foundation for Shared Equity Leadership

Featuring campus leaders from:

To coincide with the release of the new Shared Equity Leadership Start-Up Toolkit, this webinar, hosted by the Pullias Center's Adrianna Kezar and Elizabeth Holcombe, will share an overview of the new Toolkit, highlighting some of its highest-impact exercises. Panelists from three campuses that have successfully implemented SEL will share key lessons and insights from their experiences.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Alumna Jaime Lester Named Dean of UC Santa Barbara
Learn how Jaime Lester (USC Rossier MA '03, PhD '06) drew on her experiences at USC Rossier and the Pullias Center throughout her career in higher education.

Read Jaime's Story →

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF THE PULLIAS CENTER

Where Research Meets Practice — and Impact Follows.
pullias.usc.edu • pullias@usc.edu