Research Assistant Professor
jlaserna@email.unc.eduCV / Resume (pdf)
Jillian La Serna is a Research Assistant Professor and qualitative researcher at the Educational Policy Initiative at Carolina (EPIC) in the Department of Public Policy. Before entering higher education, La Serna served as a public-school principal, assistant principal, dual language-reading specialist, and elementary teacher.
La Serna’s research interests focus on race, culture, social justice, and critical consciousness in K-12 schools with a focus on dual language programs. She has published her research in journals such as the Bilingual Research Journal, Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy, and Foreign Language Annals.
La Serna holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership as well as a Master of School Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She completed her BA in Liberal Studies and received her teaching credential with a cross-cultural language and academic development certificate from California State University-Sacramento.