Dr. Hannah Lawler is currently the Dean of Institutional Research at Santa Monica College and has over 19 years of experience in the field of Institutional Research, Planning, and Effectiveness (IRPE). In her role, she provides strategic vision, leadership, and oversight for the college’s research and effectiveness functions and provides leadership on campus efforts related to racial equity, program review, and accreditation. She co-founded and co- leads one of the pioneer data coaching programs in the California Community College (CCC) system.
She has worked as a consultant for many organizations (including The RP Group, USC Center for Urban Education, USC Race and Equity Center, Puente Project, Foundation for California Community Colleges) and colleges/universities to provide research and evaluation support promoting equity-minded inquiry on college campuses.
Lawler was a 2020- 2021 fellow of the California Policy Fellowship Program (EPRP) and received the 2024 Leadership Award from The RP Group. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Pepperdine University and a doctorate in Education from USC.
