Ursula S. Aldana

Ursula S. Aldana is an Associate Professor in the Catholic Educational Leadership (CEL) Program at the University of San Francisco. Her research emphasizes equity and access in K-12 education for racially/ethnically and linguistically diverse students, with a focus on language policy, Catholic school innovations, and sociocultural competencies. She holds a PhD in Urban Schooling from UCLA, an MA in Elementary Education from Loyola Marymount University, and a BS in International Politics from Georgetown University.

Research Interests: Dr. Aldana’s work intersects social justice, educational policy, and institutional reform. She investigates how Catholic schools can better serve marginalized communities and advocates for bilingual education policies supporting immigrant youth. Her scholarship bridges personal experiences—teaching in urban public schools and attending Catholic schools from elementary through graduate levels—with rigorous academic inquiry.

Awards & Recognition:

• AERA Catholic Education SIG Dissertation Award (2013)
• Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship Honorable Mention (2011)

Professional Background: Prior to USF, she contributed to Loyola Marymount University’s Center for Catholic Education and collaborated with UCLA’s Civil Rights Project on bilingual education and immigrant youth studies. Her work emphasizes translating research into actionable policies for equitable school environments.

Labs & Affiliations: Engaged with interdisciplinary collaborations at USF and external partnerships like the Civil Rights Project, though specific lab names are not explicitly mentioned in the text.