Lauren Casella

Dr. Lauren Casella is the Academic Program Director for the Catholic School Leadership Academy and Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Administration in the School of Education at Loyola Marymount University. In this role, her focus is on building leadership capacity of Catholic school principals and administrators.

Before entering higher education, Dr. Casella served Catholic elementary schools within the Chicago Archdiocese for ten years as a teacher at St. John of the Cross Parish School in Western Springs IL and as a teacher, administrator, and Principal at The Frances Xavier Warde School in Chicago, IL. Prior to joining LMU as a full-time faculty member, Dr. Casella served as a faculty lecturer in SOE’s Elementary and Secondary Education Department. In the role, she taught courses on curriculum and instructional leadership and earned senior lecturer status.

As a consultant with the LMU Family of Schools, Dr. Casella provided ongoing support of local Catholic schools focusing on the integration of social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculums, seeking to foster positive climate and culture. The support included faculty professional learning seminars, mentoring, parent education, and mission-driven leadership consultation. Dr. Casella’s partnership with Archdiocese of Los Angeles Department of Catholic Schools encompasses areas of academic achievement and leadership development initiatives.

Dr. Casella holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies from LMU, a master’s degree in Leadership and Supervision from Loyola University Chicago, and a Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership and Teacher Education in Multicultural Societies from University of Southern California. She holds a valid Illinois General Administrative Credential, an Illinois Teaching License, and a California Teaching Credential & BCLAD. Her teaching and research interests include leadership theory and applications related to the Catholic school principalship, mission-driven leadership, teacher education, and innovative instructional practices in support of exceptional Catholic education.