Maria Romero-Morales

Maria Romero-Morales, Ed.D. is the Director of Student and Community Success. She brings passion and love for higher education into her work to lead our USC-wide initiatives and programs to promote inclusive cultures and increase access and opportunities for those historically underrepresented in higher education. Dr. Romero-Morales is the former Assistant Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer for Communication, Community, and Student Engagement, an inaugural position at the University of Southern California (USC).

Maria is an administrative leader and interdisciplinary scholar whose work at the intersection of public policy and education informs her efforts to translate theory into practice that enhances higher education. Dr. Romero-Morales brings over 25 years of experience in K-12, community college, higher education, and public policy, where she has developed extensive expertise in recruiting and retaining students with non-traditional experiences, equity-focused professional development for faculty, and strategies to support higher education staff and first-generation students. Additionally, Maria has cultivated a deep understanding of college retention and access and the academic challenges that hinder first-generation students from thriving in a higher education environment. Drawing from her administrative, classroom, and research experience, Maria has provided consultation and professional development to California State University, the University of California, and community college practitioners, offering them resources on high-impact practices aimed at college access, retention, and academic success. Her commitment to and passion for higher education have led her to teach student development graduate courses and social justice and policy implementation at the University of Southern California.

Fun fact about Maria: She is a first-generation Triple-USC Trojan with an Ed.D. focused on high-impact practices for first-generation students, an M.P.A. from the Price School of Public Policy, and a B.S. in organizational change from the Marshall School of Business.

Favorite Spot on Campus: The Little Chapel of Silence