CUE Co-Director Estela Mara Bensimon receives Prestigious ASHE Research Achievement Award 2013

Dr. Estela Mara Bensimon receives award at the 2013 ASHE Conference

Rossier School of Education professor and CUE co-director Estela Mara Bensimon was honored by the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) for her significant contributions to research at the association's annual meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, on November 16.

Dr. Bensimon received the 2013 ASHE Research Achievement Award. She joins a small group of prolific scholars who have been recognized for research that advances understanding of higher education and shapes the field of study and practice. Dr. Bensimon, a past president of ASHE (2005-06),  was recognized for her pioneering and influential research on the organizational learning and change processes that influence the state of racial equity and inequity on college campuses. Under Bensimon's leadership, CUE has developed the Equity Scorecard™ , which helps  colleges and state higher education systems identify problems, develop interventions and implement equity goals to increase retention, transfer and graduation rates for historically under-represented racial-ethnic groups. Her recent book, co-authored with Professor Lindsey Malcom of The George Washington University, Confronting Equity Issues on Campus: The Equity Scorecard in Theory and Practice, details how the Equity Scorecard™ is implemented and its effects on campus policies and practices.

Brian Pusser, professor at the University of Virginia who presented the award on behalf of the ASHE awards committee chaired by Professor Mitch Chang of UCLA, described Bensimon's research as "groundbreaking," "fearless," and "relentless in pursuing excellence and impact."

"It's hard to imagine more important work in our field, or a scholar who has addressed so many central issues with such commitment and vision," he stated. "Dr. Estela Bensimon is someone who has changed the way we think, and more than that, motivated us to engage through research and practice with the most intractable challenges in higher education."

 "Faculty and students in the USC Rossier School are proud to have academic leaders of the stature of Estela Bensimon," said Dean Karen Symms Gallagher. "Her scholarship and leadership in the areas of college access and attainment enhance our graduate programs as well as inform our understanding of vital national issues."

The Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) promotes collaboration among its members and others engaged in the study of higher education through research, conferences, and publications.