Director At Large, Higher Education - West
At-Large Term expires 10/27

Dr. Maria Gutierrez Ott holds the Irving R. and Virginia A. Melbo Chair in Education Administration at the USC Rossier School of Education. She previously served for more than 40 years as an educator in K-12 urban systems, including 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 experiences to the preparation of leaders for school systems, colleges and universities, and other organizations.

Dr. 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 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.  She 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 also a founding member of the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators (CALSA).

Dr. Ott has authored books and presented to national audiences about the importance of cultural proficiency in closing achievement gaps.