He is University Professor and Wilbur-Kieffer Professor of Higher Education and Director of the Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis at the University of Southern California.  Former President of the USC Academic Senate, he chaired the Ph.D. program for the USC Rossier School of Education and chaired the University Committee on Academic Review.  Having spent over two decades conducting research on college access for underrepresented youth, Dr. Tierney is committed to informing policies and practices related to educational equity. He is currently involved in studies pertaining to determining the effective components of college preparation programs; how students access financial aid en route to college; and increase college-going for high potential disadvantaged students in 5 public high schools in Los Angeles.  He has received funding for his research from, among others, the Irvine Foundation, Atlantic Philanthropies, the Ford Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, Lumina Foundation for Education, and Goldman Sachs.  The results of his work have appeared in numerous journal articles, book chapters and books.  His most recent publications include:  Trust and the Public Good: Examining the Cultural Conditions of Academic Work; New Players, Different Game: Understanding the Rise of For-profit Colleges and Universities (with Guilbert Hentschke);Financial Aid and Access: Understanding the Public Policy Challenges; and Building the Responsive Campus: Creating High Performance Colleges and Universities.   Tierney brings to his work administrative experience as an academic dean at a Native American community college in North Dakota, and cross-cultural insight from Peace Corps work in Morocco and his experience as a Fulbright Scholar in Central America and Australia. Dr. Tierney earned a master's degree from Harvard University and holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University in administration and policy analysis.  In 2006 he was appointed University Professor at the University of Southern California, the first such distinction for a professor of education in the history of the university.

She is Director of SummerTIME overseeing logistics and coordinator of College Knowledge. Diane graduated from USC in 2001 majoring in psychology. In 2008, she received her Masters degree from CSU Sacramento in Higher Education Leadership. During the academic year, Diane works as CHEPA’s Outreach Advisor coordinating the I AM (Increasing Access via Mentoring) program which is a mentoring program helping students with the college admissions process.  She works with college counselors and college-bound juniors and seniors at several large, urban high schools within the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).  Diane’s prior outreach experience includes work with USC TRIO Programs; program coordinator for the Koreatown Youth and Community Center, and program evaluator on research projects for LAUSD.  Diane joined the SummerTIME program in 2007 and in her second year of her doctoral studies in the USC School of Education. 

She is CHEPA’s Administrative Services Manager.  She is responsible for all financials for the center including reimbursements, payroll and budgeting concerns for SummerTIME. She has been part of SummerTIME and USC since July 2003.  Her background is in the electronics industry technical research.  She has many years of project management experience after receiving a BS in materials engineering from Alfred University in New York State. 

She is the Administrative Assistant for CHEPA. Her employment background consists of several years of secretarial and administrative work. Diane enjoys all sports, and is particularly fond of soccer. She currently plays on a team coached by her husband.  She has been married for 28 years and has 3 grown children.  She enjoys reading and watching movies on her DVD player.  This September will be Diane's 9th year with CHEPA.

She is the Director of Writing for the SummerTIME program. She completed her B.A. in English and Integrated Arts at Northwestern University, and a M.Ed. at the University of New Hampshire. She taught high school English and creative writing before transitioning to working with writers in the private sector. As Vice President of Creative Writer Development at Fox Broadcasting Company, her outreach with emerging playwrights was recognized by media sources including The Wall Street Journal and National Public Radio. She has taught television writing at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, and English as an adjunct instructor at Los Angeles City College. Currently, she is a research assistant for Dr. William G. Tierney in the Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis (CHEPA). She is interested in literacy and writing as it pertains to higher education access for underserved student populations.

Lisa Garcia completed a double major in history and American literature and culture at the University of California, Los Angeles [UCLA]. After graduating, Lisa worked in the office of Undergraduate Admissions and Relations with Schools at UCLA as an editor working on UCLA and University of California printed and Web publications for prospective undergraduate students. Her research interests include the study of academic equity of minority students studying at community colleges. She is also interested in general issues of equity, access, and diversity, specifically pertaining to first-generation college students. Lisa has joined the center under Dr. Tierney.

She is a CHEPA research affiliate who was a former SummerTIME Director.  Dr. Venegas is RSOE’s Director of the Master’s Program and will be helping out with evaluation for the SummerTIME program.

As a former coordinator of the SummerTIME program, this year she is responsible for conducting classroom observations and helping our instructors and writing consultants explore varied pedagogical strategies. She facilitates weekly staff meetings and also works closely with the program's overall evaluation team.