Estela Mara Bensimon

Estela Mara Bensimon is a leading figure in higher education equity in the United States. She holds the title of University Professor Emerita at the University of Southern California, a distinction awarded selectively by the university president for multidisciplinary interests and significant accomplishments across several disciplines. Bensimon earned her doctorate in higher education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She served as associate dean of the USC Rossier School of Education and was a Fulbright Scholar to Mexico.

As founding director of the Center for Urban Education, which she established and led until its merger with the USC Race and Equity Center, Bensimon developed the Equity Scorecard. This process uses inquiry to drive changes in institutional practice and culture, aiming to increase equity in higher education outcomes for minoritized students. The center collaborated with nearly 700 organizations and thousands of college presidents, professors, and academic counselors to address historical and structural barriers affecting students of color in higher education. Bensimon is recognized for coining the term equity-minded and for her efforts to normalize racial equity, supporting higher education leaders, faculty, and staff in addressing equity on campuses nationwide.

Bensimon has published extensively on topics including equity, organizational learning, practitioner inquiry, and institutional change. Her work appears in journals such as Review of Higher Education, Journal of Higher Education, Liberal Education, and Harvard Educational Review. Her book, "From Equity Talk to Equity Walk: Expanding Practitioner Knowledge for Racial Justice in Higher Education," co-authored with Tia Brown McNair and Lindsey Malcom-Piqueux, addresses strategies for advancing racial justice in higher education. Her research has been supported by grants from organizations including the Ford Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lumina Foundation, Teagle Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and The James Irvine Foundation.

Bensimon has held leadership positions in the Association for the Study of Higher Education, serving as president, and in the American Education Research Association, Division on Postsecondary Education, serving as vice president. She has served on the boards of the American Association for Higher Education and the Association of American Colleges and Universities, and chaired the AERA Social Justice and Action Committee. Her honors include the University of Wisconsin system Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award, induction as an AERA Fellow, the Association for the Study of Higher Education Research Achievement Award, and the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education Outstanding Latina Faculty Award for Research & Teaching. She is a member of the National Academy of Education and has received the Social Justice in Education Award from the American Education Research Association.

Bensimon is also the recipient of the Stan Jones Legacy Award from Complete College America and the Howard Bowen Award for a Distinguished Career from the Association for the Study of Higher Education. The Center for Urban Education has been recognized with the Association for the Study of Higher Education Presidential Medal, and Bensimon received the Council for the Study of Community Colleges Presidential Citation of Excellence. She leads Bensimon & Associates, a consulting firm focused on racial equity services for colleges, universities, and philanthropic organizations.