Zoë Corwin

Zoë Corwin is a Research Professor at the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education, affiliated with the Pullias Center for Higher Education. Her work focuses on college access and success for at-promise students, pathways for students with foster care experiences, and the role of digital tools in educational equity.

• PhD in Sociology from University of Southern California
• MA in Spanish from Saint Louis University
• BA in Sociology from University of California, Los Angeles

Her research integrates games and social media into postsecondary pathways and explores the social impact of skateboarding. She emphasizes ecological validation as a method to support marginalized students through holistic institutional practices.

Recent publications address systemic institutional reform via professional learning communities, digital strategies for student well-being, and terminology in at-promise student research. Grants include a $5.6M award from the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation and NIH funding for LGBTQ+ student support.

• 2023 USC Joint Educational Partnership Community Engaged Teaching and Research Award
• 2017 USC Rossier Mentoring Award
• Spencer Foundation and Haynes Foundation fellowships

Corwin collaborates with practitioners to create accessible outputs like games, monographs, and practitioner briefs, bridging academic research with community needs. She is a founding board member of the New Los Angeles Charter Middle School.