Linda Serra Hagedorn received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education at Elmhurst College, a Master of Education at National-Louis University, and her Ph.D. in Public Policy and Higher Education Analysis from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She was a postdoctoral fellow with the National Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment in Chicago.
Hagedorn is Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs, International Programs, Student Services, Diversity, and Community in the College of Human Sciences and Professor in the School of Education at Iowa State University. She is a prominent researcher in the area of community college student success with over 200 publications and presentations. As the Director of International Programs at Iowa State, she is also highly involved in international education. Dr. Hagedorn has extensive international experience beginning with her initial work in Vietnam as a Fulbright Specialist at AnGiang University (2003). She subsequently has been a researcher and collaborator in China, Russia, Korea, and Spain.
Hagedorn is on the advisory board of international universities in both China and Iran. As the past president of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) and Vice President of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), she has a rich history of leadership. Included in her long list of funded projects is the latest, funded by the U.S. Department of State where she heads the American Cultural Center at Henan Normal University in Xinxiang China. Dr. Hagedorn has also served as a Data Coach for the Achieving the Dream Initiative and works with colleges in Texas.