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Su Jin Jez

CEO

California Competes: Higher Education for a Strong Economy

Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow Alumni 2025 Cohort 9

As CEO of California Competes, Dr. Su Jin Jez leads the organization’s work to develop nonpartisan and financially pragmatic recommendations for improved higher education and workforce policies across California. Prior to joining California Competes, she spent over a decade as a professor of Public Policy and Administration at California State University, Sacramento and held leadership roles for the CSU Student Success Network, the California Executive Fellows Program, and Sacramento State Doctorate in Educational Leadership.

An accomplished researcher published in leading academic journals, Dr. Jez provides evidence-based guidance to higher education and government leaders through applied research on economic and workforce development, college success, and institutional effectiveness. Her presentations nationally and internationally have shaped critical conversations on higher education transformation.

Her contributions have garnered prestigious recognition, including the Stanford University Alumni Excellence in Education Award and CAEL’s Pamela Tate Rise Award. Dr. Jez serves on several boards and councils focused on postsecondary policy and antipoverty initiatives, including California’s Cradle-to-Career Data System, Credential Engine, and Tipping Point Community.
Ascend Fellows are a community of values-driven leaders who share an unwavering commitment to our shared goal of intergenerational family prosperity and well-being.