Aimée Dorr, former dean of the UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies and provost of the University of California system, died on January 25 at her home in South Pasadena, California. She was 83.
Dorr joined UCLA as a professor in the education department in 1981 after holding faculty positions at Stanford and Harvard universities and at the University of Southern California, where she also served as associate dean of the Annenberg School of Communications. At UCLA, she became known for her focus on child welfare and research into how electronic media affects children. Her expertise also included policy analysis and the role of research in policy decision-making.
In September 1999, Dorr was appointed dean shortly after UCLA’s Graduate School of Education merged with its Graduate School of Library and Information Science to form the new Graduate School of Education & Information Studies. During her tenure, which lasted until 2012, both departments gained national recognition for their programs.
“As dean, Aimée helped set the course for the newly formed UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, bringing together the departments of education and information studies to pursue research, scholarship and practice within and across their respective fields,” said Christina (Tina) Christie, Wasserman Dean of the UCLA School of Education & Information Studies. “Her vision and leadership helped our school develop future generations of scholars, teachers, information professionals and institutional leaders and established a powerful commitment to the principles of responsibility and social justice, an ethic of caring, and deep partnership with communities that continue to guide our work today.”
Christine Borgman, distinguished research professor at UCLA’s Presidential Chair in Information Studies Emerita stated: “Aimée was a brilliant scholar and an insightful dean. She was committed to the intellectual integration of information studies and education, drawing on her communication scholarship, attending information studies conferences and participating actively in our department.”
Anne Gilliland, professor of information studies at UCLA added: “She was extraordinarily dedicated and fair in school and department administrative affairs. She always took a keen interest in the research in the information studies department because of her own background working with educational media and technology.”
During Dorr’s leadership as dean, faculty diversity increased along with student enrollment. The number of full-time faculty equivalents grew as well as financial support for doctoral students. The school expanded its engagement with Los Angeles communities by partnering with local organizations.
A notable achievement during Dorr’s tenure was launching a partnership between UCLA’s graduate school and community advocates that led to opening the Robert F. Kennedy Community School in Pico-Union/Koreatown area in 2009—a K–12 pilot program that continues to incorporate university expertise into instructional programs more than a decade later.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for both UCLA and LAUSD to bring big resources, knowledge and energy to the table to provide excellent education to some children in communities that need it the most,” Dorr told UCLA Magazine at that time.
Megan Franke, professor at UCLA said: “I was education department chair while Aimée was dean. Her leadership shaped the development of mine… She cared deeply about us and our work together in education and information studies.”
Beyond campus leadership roles at UCLA—including serving as vice chair or chair on multiple committees—Dorr became provost for academic affairs for all University of California campuses starting July 2012 just after stepping down from her deanship; she retired from this position five years later.
“Aimée Dorr is an accomplished leader with superb management skills, strategic vision and a long-standing commitment to expanding educational opportunities for all segments of society,” then–UC President Mark Yudof said when announcing her appointment. “Her inclusive management style and understanding of University California at all levels will serve entire system each our ten campuses very well during these challenging times.”
Dorr earned degrees from Stanford University (bachelor’s degree in mathematics; master’s degree; doctorate in psychology) before joining various academic associations including American Educational Research Association; American Psychological Association; Association Psychological Science; she also taught as visiting professor Beijing Normal University.
Christina Christie concluded: “On a personal note… I remain profoundly grateful for her steady counsel, her generosity spirit quiet confidence she placed so many us we grew into roles here at UCLA.”
