Paula Nazario (she/her)

Paula Nazario is a Ph.D. student at the School of Education and Information Studies. Her research examines how private equity investments in higher education shape students’ educational and economic outcomes.

Previously, Paula conducted research and provided leadership on education and Latinx issues through her work with UCLA Center X and the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute. As Assistant Director at UCLA Center X, she led a Google/Siegel Family Endowment-funded research project to develop a parent engagement toolkit for equitable computer science education and provided strategic leadership for the CSforCA coalition and other statewide CS initiatives. As a policy fellow at the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute, she co-authored policy briefs on the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 on Latinas and disparities in access to rent relief programs in California.

Paula has also worked with organizations such as HCM Strategists, California Competes, and the Campaign for College Opportunity, where she co-authored policy briefs and research reports on the ROI of higher education, the diversity of part-time faculty in California’s higher education system, and declining student enrollment. Her work has been featured in The Los Angeles Times, CalMatters, EdSource, and other outlets.

Currently, she serves on the Los Angeles Metro’s Community Advisory Council, appointed by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, where she consults with and gathers public input on community priorities related to transit policy and programs. A proud first-generation college graduate, she holds a Master of Public Policy (MPP) and a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA.