Director
Paula A. Cordeiro is the Dammeyer Distinguished Professor of Global Leadership and Education in the Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego (USD) where she teaches social entrepreneurship and impact evaluation. From 1998 – 2015 she served as dean of the School of Leadership & Education Sciences (SOLES) at USD and subsequently worked with international NGOs in sub-Saharan Africa, and Central/South America. From 2015 – 2019 Professor Cordeiro was the VP of Education for Edify, a micro-lending social enterprise that provides training and financial services to low-fee private schools in thirteen countries.
Prior to becoming a professor Paula was a teacher, principal, and school director in international schools in Venezuela and Spain. In addition to the Conrad Prebys Foundation, Paula currently serves on the boards of the Burnham Center for Community Advancement and Building Engineering and Science Talent (Washington DC). Her past board service includes: the James Irvine Foundation, the New Bedford (MA) Whaling Museum, San Diego’s Midway Museum, the San Diego Council on Literacy, the Davis College Foundation Board (Rwanda), the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, the University Council for Education Administration, and the Community Technical Assistance Center (Boston). Paula is the author of three books and her most recent publication (2021) is in the Journal of Leadership in Education — Responses to COVID-19 From Non-State School Leaders in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa and India: A Call for Educational Equity.
Paula curates and occasionally writes blogs on social innovation, ‘business for good’ models, philanthropy and school leadership at globaledleadership.org.