Rossier dean to retire next June: ‘It is a time of change for the University’


Rossier School of Education Dean Karen Gallagher will step down from her position and retire next June after serving as dean for 20 years.

“I came to realize that retiring from the deanship does not, by any means, signal the end of my involvement in education, and change can present meaningful opportunity for our school,” Gallagher wrote in an email to colleagues May 24.

A Rossier spokesperson said the school has not yet announced a formal search process for Gallagher’s replacement but will prioritize receiving input from faculty, staff and students as it searches for its next leader.

“The last 19 years as dean have been the most professionally and personally fulfilling in my career,” Gallagher wrote. “Together, we have set Rossier on a robust path of rigor, access and inclusivity. I am proud of our collective accomplishments, but it is a time of change for the University.”

During her tenure, Gallagher guided Rossier in climbing the national rankings for education schools in the country. In 2018, Rossier reached the top 10 of the U.S. News & World Report rankings, the highest ranking in its history. In the most recent rankings, the school was named No. 12.

Larry Picus, who serves as an associate dean at the school, said that during her tenure, Gallagher has transformed Rossier from “a very good regional school of education” into a “nationally and even internationally renowned school of education.”

“When she was appointed, we faced a very severe budget deficit. I would say we were in crisis,” said Picus, who has been a faculty member at Rossier for 30 years. “She came in and led [the school] through some planning efforts to improve our programs, to redevelop our relationship with school leaders throughout California … and help us get back on stable financial footing.”

Gallagher led the Rossier team that initiated the USC Hybrid High School in 2012, the first of five charter public schools in Los Angeles started by Rossier during Gallagher’s tenure. Gallagher sits as the chair of Ednovate, Inc. which leads all five schools. Hybrid High’s first class graduated in 2016 with a 100 percent graduation rate. The graduation rate has remained at 100 percent since then.

“You are fully committed to being change agents, who strive to improve your own lives, as well as the lives of your families and communities, now and in the future,” Gallagher told graduates in 2016. “Your success is a tribute to your hard work and dedication.”

Gallagher joined other leaders in the education field to form Deans for Impact, an organization that aims to transform educator preparation. She also serves as chair of the board of directors for the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, the only teacher accreditation organization in the country.

In 2013, Gallagher was the first to receive the Provost’s Prize for Innovation in Educational Practice. That same year, she was named a Pahara-Aspen Fellow and became the first dean of a school of education to be included as a fellow. The Pahara-Aspen Fellowship works to sustain and strengthen diverse leaders who reimagine public education.

“I hope we’re able to find a leader as high caliber as Dean Gallagher has been in the past 20 years who will, as she has done, help us identify the new frontiers in education and help us remain as a leader in understanding what those frontiers are,” Picus said.

“I came to realize that retiring from the deanship does not, by any means, signal the end of my involvement in education, and change can present meaningful opportunity for our school,” Gallagher wrote in an email to colleagues Friday.

A Rossier spokesperson said the School has not yet announced a formal search process for Gallagher’s replacement but will prioritize receiving input from faculty, staff and students as it searches for its next leader.

“The last 19 years as dean have been the most professionally and personally fulfilling in my career,” Gallagher wrote. “Together, we have set Rossier on a robust path of rigor, access and inclusivity. I am proud of our collective accomplishments, but it is a time of change for the University.”

During her tenure, Gallagher guided Rossier in climbing the national rankings for education schools in the country. In 2018, Rossier reached the top 10 of the U.S. News & World Report rankings, the highest ranking in its history. In the most recent rankings, the School was named No. 12.

Larry Picus, who serves as an associate dean at the School, said that during her tenure, Gallagher has transformed the School from “a very good regional school of education” into a “nationally and even internationally renowned school of education.”

“When she was appointed, we faced a very severe budget deficit. I would say we were in crisis,” said Picus, who has been a faculty member at Rossier for 30 years. “She came in and led [the School] through some planning efforts to improve our programs, to redevelop our relationship with school leaders throughout California … and help us get back on stable financial footing.”

Gallagher led the Rossier team that initiated the USC Hybrid High School in 2012, the first of five charter public schools in Los Angeles started by Rossier during Gallagher’s tenure. Gallagher sits as the chair of Ednovate, Inc. which leads all five schools. The Hybrid High’s first class graduated in 2016 with a 100 percent graduation rate. The graduation rate has remained at 100 percent since then.

“You are fully committed to being change agents, who strive to improve your own lives, as well as the lives of your families and communities, now and in the future,” Gallagher told graduates in 2016. “Your success is a tribute to your hard work and dedication.”

Gallagher joined other leaders in the education field to form Deans for Impact, an organization that aims to transform educator preparation. She also serves as chair of the board of directors for the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, the only teacher-accreditation organization in the country.

In 2013, Gallagher was the first to receive the Provost’s Prize for Innovation in Educational Practice. That same year, she was named a Pahara-Aspen Fellow and became the first dean of a school of education to be included as a fellow. The Pahara-Aspen Fellowship works to sustain and strengthen diverse leaders who reimagine public education.

“I hope we’re able to find a leader as high caliber as Dean Gallagher has been in the past 20 years who will, as she has done, help us identify the new frontiers in education and help us remain as a leader in understanding what those frontiers are,” Picus said.

This article was updated on May 28 at 9:00 p.m.