Russell Rumberger appointed vice provost of Education Partnerships
September 21, 2010 •
Russell Rumberger was appointed Vice Provost of Education Partnerships by the UC Board of Regents on Thursday, September 16, effective immediately. The Regents confirmed his appointment after a national search, acting on the recommendation of President Mark Yudof.
Key responsibilities for this position include implementing policies, programs and initiatives that produce high quality teachers for California and that enhance the K-12 and community college-transfer pipelines to bachelor’s degrees and the workforce. “I am excited by the challenge of working with the University of California to improve California’s public education system and enhance educational opportunity for all of California’s students,” said Rumberger of his appointment.
Provost Lawrence H. Pitts, in announcing the appointment, said that Rumberger will be a member of the Office of the President senior leadership team, and will work closely with the other segments of higher education, the California Department of Education, and other organizations to improve educational quality and college access for all students. “Russ brings to this position the right combination of dedication, leadership ability, and academic rigor,” said Pitts. “The Vice Provost Education Partnerships is a critical role for the University—indeed for California’s future. The University is committed to working with K-12, the other segments of higher education, the California Department of Education, and other organizations to improve educational opportunities and college access for all students. I believe Russ will bring an important research element into UC’s academic preparation programs.”
Russell Rumberger is an expert in English language learning and achievement gaps. He has devoted his professional life to identifying and redressing inequities in educational quality and access. Most recently, he was a professor of Education at The Gevirtz Graduate School of Education at UC Santa Barbara.
Over a distinguished career, Rumberger has published on a wide range of issues in education, including early childhood education, school segregation, the achievement gap, school dropouts and the educational challenges of English language learners. He has just completed a book on high school dropouts that will be published by Harvard University Press in 2011.
In addition, Rumberger directed the UC Linguistic Minority Research Institute (UC LMRI) for 10 years, from 1998 to 2008, and built the multi-campus research unit into an internationally recognized research institute that funded important research on one of California’s and the nation’s fastest growing populations, English language learners.
Rumberger is currently directing the California Dropout Research Project (CDRP). With funding from major foundations, the CDRP conducts research and has developed a policy agenda to address the problem of school dropouts in California. Since its inception in 2006, two pieces of legislation addressing the dropout crisis have been signed into law based on CRDP recommendations.
Rumberger has recently served on two National Research Council (NRC) committees, the national advisory committee for the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) project, Gubernatorial Action for Dropout Prevention and Recovery, and served as a consultant to the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Task Force on Dropouts.
Rumberger earned a Ph.D. in education and an M.A. in economics from Stanford University and a B.S. in electrical engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University.
