Jerry Lucido received the Joe Allen Exemplar Award from the Western Region of the College Board for his contributions to increasing educational access for students and his support of professional colleagues.

The USC Rossier School of Education professor accepted the award on Jan. 31 at the College Board’s annual meeting in Santa Clara, Calif.

“Jerry is a leader in his field through the force of his mind and heart,” said David Coleman, president of the College Board. “He has made great contributions through innovations in admissions as well as by honing the social conscience of the field.”

Added Ken Woods, executive director of higher education for the College Board, “[Lucido] has mentored hundreds of professionals in his career and continues to push the envelope to challenge our profession and keep us honest and true to what we do.”

The Joe Allen Exemplar Award is named for the late Joseph P. Allen, who served as USC vice provost for enrollment and dean of admission and financial aid from 1993 to 2001. Allen’s efforts to recruit the brightest students from underserved communities around the country contributed to USC’s rise as a top-tier research university and the celebrated diversity of its student body.

“Joe Allen was one of my dear friends and an exemplar of personal commitment to access and opportunity,” Lucido said. “I am honored and humbled to receive an award named in his honor, and I’m proud to bring the award ‘home’ to USC this year.”

Lucido is professor of research at USC Rossier and executive director of the USC Center for Enrollment Research, Policy, and Practice (CERPP).

He has played a leading role at the national level in initiatives to improve access for low-income and underrepresented students and to design and execute effective and principled college admission and enrollment management practices.

CERPP holds annual conferences for university leaders and admissions officers to examine college admission policies and practices. Earlier this month, the center hosted nearly 200 officials to debate how best to define merit among college applicants.

Lucido previously served as USC’s vice provost for enrollment policy and management and as a trustee of the College Board.

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