Julie Posselt

Julie Posselt is a Professor of Higher Education at the University of Southern California's Rossier School of Education, where she serves as Co-Director of the Pullias Center for Higher Education and Associate Dean of the USC Graduate School. With a PhD in Higher Education from the University of Michigan, she brings extensive expertise in examining institutionalized inequalities within higher education systems.

Her research program, rooted in sociological and organizational theory, focuses on selective sectors of higher education—particularly graduate education, STEM fields, and elite undergraduate institutions—where she investigates how longstanding practices and cultural norms can be transformed to better identify talent and educate students in an increasingly diverse society. Professor Posselt's work has resulted in influential publications including Inside Graduate Admissions: Merit, Diversity, and Faculty Gatekeeping (2016) and Equity in Science: Representation, Culture, and the Dynamics of Change in Graduate Education (2020).

Professor Posselt's research output demonstrates consistent focus on equity issues in graduate education, with recent publications addressing race-neutral holistic review approaches, departmental culture transformation in STEM, and strategies for navigating policy changes following Supreme Court decisions on affirmative action. Her work shows increasing emphasis on practical implementation tools and collaborative networks to effect systemic change.

• 2015-2017 National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation postdoctoral research fellow
• 2025 AERA Fellow
• Principal Investigator on $1.3 million NSF grant for 'Examining Rubrics in Graduate Education'
• Key contributor to Pullias Center receiving ASHE Special Merit Award (2024)

As Associate Dean of the USC Graduate School and Co-Director of the Pullias Center, Professor Posselt oversees significant research initiatives and advises on graduate education policy. She founded the Equity in Graduate Education Consortium (formerly C-CIDE) in 2018, which has grown to include faculty and administrators from over 25 institutions working collaboratively to transform graduate education. Her leadership extends to directing major research-practice partnerships that translate scholarly findings into actionable strategies for improving equity in higher education.

The Pullias Center for Higher Education, which she co-directs, functions as her primary research hub, focusing on advancing equity through research, policy analysis, and practice-oriented resources. Under her leadership, the Center recently merged with the Center for Enrollment Research, Policy and Practice to create a more comprehensive hub focused on strengthening leadership and advancing equity in higher education.