Prior to her appointment at Carolina, Jillian La Serna was an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of North Carolina Charlotte. She received her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership as well as her Master of School Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies and a Teaching Credential with a cross-cultural language and academic development certificate from California State University-Sacramento.

Before entering higher education, La Serna served as a public-school principal, assistant principal, dual language-reading specialist, and elementary teacher. She has K-12 education experience in California and North Carolina, as well as international teaching experience in Peru. Currently, La Serna serves on the Duke ACE Community Engagement Advisory Board.

La Serna’s research is centered on race, culture, and social justice in K-12 schools. She has conducted qualitative studies examining achievement of African American students in Spanish-English two-way immersion programs, culturally relevant pedagogy, and critical consciousness development. Her current research focuses social justice and leadership in dual language schools.