Dr. Paola (Lola) Esmieu is a strategic leader in higher education, dedicated to institutional growth, access, and equity-driven initiatives. As Chief of Staff at Paul Quinn College, she provides strategic oversight of enrollment, communications, and institutional priorities. Under her leadership, the college was ranked #6 on Numerade’s 2024 list of fastest-growing colleges and has earned multiple national creative awards, including MarCom, Hermes Creative, and Telly Awards. Esmieu previously held leadership roles at the University of Pennsylvania and Rutgers University, directing national programs that supported minority-serving institutions. She also served with City Year, an education-focused AmeriCorps program combating the dropout crisis in low-resource schools. A dedicated advocate for underserved communities, she holds an Ed.D., M.L., and M.S.Ed. from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. from UC Santa Barbara. She remains committed to using education as a catalyst for social impact and institutional transformation.
