Dr. Hannah Lawler

For nearly two decades, Dr. Hannah Lawler has served as a notable force in institutional research. Her contributions and service to the IRPE community and its advancement have positively impacted the professional growth and development of others, helped build community in social justice and equity, and informed regional and statewide practice.

Dr. Lawler holds two degrees in psychology—a Bachelor of Arts from Pepperdine University and Master of Arts in California State University, Long Beach. She also holds a doctorate in education from University of Southern California. Dr. Lawler was selected as one of the 2020-2021 fellows of the California Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP).

Dr. Lawler worked as Research Analyst for Long Beach City College for nearly five years. In 2005, she joined the Center for Urban Education at University of Southern California (USC), where she worked as a part-time research consultant for 15 years. She also served as an adjunct Assistant Professor at USC for one year. Dr. Lawler joined Santa Monica College (SMC) in 2009, first serving as Director of Institutional Research for nearly four years before being promoted to Dean of Institutional Research in 2013. For more than 10 years, Dr. Lawler has provided strategic vision and leadership, overseeing the college's research and effectiveness functions and providing leadership on campus efforts related to racial equity, program review, and accreditation.

Dr. Lawler has contributed significantly to SMC, providing both research- and non-research-related leadership across several initiatives. She has led projects on her campus to elevate and amplify the student voice and empower others using data and information to support student success and equity efforts. These efforts included reimagining what shared governance meant for students and ways to uplift and empower students to actively engage and make their voices be heard in these spaces; codesigning and implementing one of the first robust data coaching and empowerment programs in the community colleges; and supporting the staff with their equity and antiracist journeys through facilitated workshops and the creation of affinity spaces. Dr. Lawler models her passions to inspire others in their professional growth and development, as well as in their community-building efforts.

Dr. Lawler co-founded and co-leads one of the pioneer data coaching programs in the California Community Colleges (CCC) system. She is currently working with the CCHALES Research Collective at San Diego State University to provide support and coaching for 17 CCCs in the writing and implementation of the 2022-2025 Student Equity Plan. Dr. Lawler consults with organizations—including The RP Group, USC Race and Equity Education, Puente Project and other CCCsâ to provide research, assessment, and evaluation support and/or training on equity-minded inquiry. She has provided thought partnership and resources to other colleges on data coaching, infrastructure, and resource considerations by generously sharing how SMC has carried out its work and helping inform the content of many of the CCCs' data coaching resources and guides. As a field liaison and service volunteer to The RP Group's Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee on matters related to equity, she has been a great thought partner and direct contributor to the development of several RP resources, including the EDI Glossary of Terms and Students Shaping Change resources.

For every project she has worked on for The RP Group, Dr. Lawler partners with her team members to uplift their expertise and experience while generously sharing her knowledge and experience. She has a very collaborative and proactive leadership style that enables herself and anyone she works with to thrive. It is with great pleasure that The RP Group celebrates her efforts with the 2024 IRPE Professional Leadership Award.