Aimée Dorr, a 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 served as dean of the graduate school from 1999 to 2012. During her tenure, she played a significant role in merging the departments of education and information studies, shaping the direction and reputation of the school.
“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.”
Before joining UCLA as a professor in 1981, Dorr held faculty positions at Stanford University, Harvard University, and the University of Southern California. At USC’s Annenberg School for Communications, she also served as associate dean. Dorr cited UCLA’s intellectual resources and collaborative environment as reasons for her move.
Dorr’s academic focus included child welfare issues and analyzing how electronic media affects children. She was recognized for her policy analysis skills and understanding how research informs decision-making.
Christine Borgman, distinguished research professor at UCLA and 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 who directs the Center for Information as Evidence—established during Dorr’s tenure—said: “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.”
Under Dorr’s leadership, both departments at UCLA gained national recognition. The school increased diversity among its students, faculty, and staff; expanded graduate enrollment; grew its full-time faculty; raised financial support for doctoral students; and strengthened community engagement efforts.
In 2009 under Dorr’s guidance, UCLA partnered with Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to open the Robert F. Kennedy Community School in Pico-Union/Koreatown—a K–12 pilot program integrating expertise from university faculty into public education efforts serving local neighborhoods.
“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.
The Robert F. Kennedy Community School continues to operate today as an award-winning institution that draws on university resources for instruction development.
Megan Franke, professor at UCLA’s Department of Education said: “I was education department chair while Aimée was dean. Her leadership shaped the development of mine. She led the department through exciting and challenging times. She cared deeply about us and our work together in education and information studies, and she worked tirelessly for us.”
Dorr also held major leadership roles within shared governance structures at UCLA—including co-chairing academic programs focused on educational partnerships—and across the UC system as vice chair/chair of both campuswide Academic Senate bodies before representing faculty interests before regents.
After stepping down as dean in 2012 following nearly three decades at UCLA overall, Dorr became provost (chief academic officer) for all University of California campuses until retiring in 2017.
“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 as provost. “Her inclusive management style and understanding of the University of California at all levels will serve the entire system and each of our 10 campuses very well during these challenging times.”
Dorr received undergraduate training in mathematics followed by master’s/doctoral degrees in psychology from Stanford University. Her professional affiliations included fellowships with leading organizations such as American Educational Research Association; American Psychological Association; Association for Psychological Science; she also taught internationally as visiting professor at Beijing Normal University.
Christina Christie acknowledged Dorr’s impact on her career: “On a personal note,” Christie said,“I remain profoundly grateful for her steady counsel, her generosity of spirit and the quiet confidence she placed in so many of us as we grew into our roles here at UCLA.”
