Dr. Devorah Lieberman served as the first female president of the University of La Verne from 2011 to 2023. Under her leadership, the 133-year-old institution in Southern California was ranked #1 in the U.S. for economic and social mobility. It serves a diverse student body, with 60% Latino students and 70% from underrepresented backgrounds, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college.
Post-presidency, Lieberman founded Lieberman & Associates and now holds several roles, including Senior Advisor to the President of the American Council on Education, Senior Consultant for Phoenix Philanthropy, Consultant for the International Association of University Presidents, and Executive Coach for university leaders.
Lieberman has significant nonprofit board leadership experience, with roles on boards such as The Inland Empire Economic Partnership, Antioch University, and the LA County Fairplex. She also serves on advisory boards for corporate organizations like Airway Revolution and Onkai.
Her leadership has earned numerous accolades, including being named to the Hall of Champions by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (2023), Woman of the Year by California State Assemblymember Holden (2023), and CEO of the Year by the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership (2021). She received honorary doctorates from Wagner College, I-Shou University (Taiwan), and Western University of Health Sciences.
Before her tenure at the University of La Verne, Lieberman spent over 20 years at Wagner College and Portland State University, where she held various academic and administrative positions. She holds a PhD in Intercultural Communication from the University of Florida, an MA from San Diego State University, a BA from Humboldt State University, and an AA from Mt. San Antonio Community College.
