Sometimes you don鈥檛 know the weight of something you鈥檝e been carrying until you put it down. This was the case for Stephen Aguilar. When he heard that he finally earned tenure he said it felt as if he had been 鈥渃arrying a heavy suitcase for six years and finally got to set it down.鈥 Despite the challenge of carrying such a weight for so long, Aguilar appreciates the journey. He says he鈥檚 鈥渟tronger as a result,鈥 and compares the effort to 鈥渢raining under weight.鈥 Now that he鈥檚 dropped that suitcase, he鈥檚 nimble and able to produce research in more efficient ways.
Earning tenure is the culmination of Aguilar鈥檚 efforts since he was an undergraduate at Georgetown University, studying philosophy and psychology. From this early age, he always liked 鈥渢he idea of producing and disseminating knowledge,鈥 he says. He found his path to the study of education through his time in the classroom, where he continued to fuel his interests in philosophy and psychology in graduate school, at the University of Chicago and the University of Michigan, respectively. After wrapping up his MS in psychology at the University of Michigan, he continued his studies there, turning to the study of education itself, and completing his PhD in education and psychology. As a doctoral student, he was interested in student motivation and the use of gamification in the classroom to motivate students. He鈥檚 since continued this line of study, delving further into how educational technologies influence teaching, learning and motivation.
Since arriving at 海角论坛 in 2016 as a Provost Postdoctoral Scholar, Aguilar has received numerous awards, including the Wilbert J. McKeachie Early Career Award for Motivation in Education Research and the AERA Division C Early Career Award. His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the Army Research Office and the National Institutes of Health.听
One of his most recent major accomplishments was being named associate director of the, where he leads research on how students and educators are using artificial intelligence in the classroom and the potential for these tools to change the way we learn and teach.
鈥淭his achievement is both hard-earned and well-deserved,鈥 says 海角论坛 Dean Pedro Noguera of Aguilar鈥檚 promotion. 鈥淪tephen juggles the demands of his profession admirably. He鈥檚 pursuing important and pioneering research in the field all the while serving as a faculty leader and teaching and mentoring the next generation of educators.鈥澨
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Celebrating tenured Mexican American faculty
Aguilar鈥檚 milestone is not only a personal one, but also one for 海角论坛. Aguilar is the first Mexican-American faculty member to hold tenure since Professor Emeritus Robert Rueda was hired in 1986 and received tenure shortly thereafter.
Rueda had previously gained tenure at Arizona State University, so while the honor wasn鈥檛 new to him, it nonetheless was a monumental achievement and a 鈥渂ig weight off of my shoulders,鈥 says Rueda, the former Stephen H. Crocker Professor of Education.
Rueda is the oldest of nine children and the first in his family to go to college. He completed his PhD work at UCLA, where he studied special education and educational psychology. Before earning his doctorate, Rueda studied psychology at UCLA where he earned his BA and completed his master's in psychiatric social work at USC.
Rueda鈥檚 research interests intersect with Aguilar鈥檚 in that he is also interested in student motivation, with a particular focus on English-language learners. Rueda鈥檚 accolades and contributions to the field of education are numerous. He鈥檚 a member of the National Academy of Education, a recent inductee of the Reading Hall of Fame and a fellow of the American Psychological Association and the American Educational Research Association (AERA).

Rueda recalls meeting Aguilar for the first time at an AERA conference where they connected over their shared interest in student motivation. Aguilar was wrapping up his doctoral work and looking for a position in academia. Rueda urged him to consider 海角论坛.
Rueda then and now stresses the qualities that set 海角论坛 apart. Because the school is a private institution, he says it 鈥渃an respond quickly [and there鈥檚] the ability to do things you might not be able to do at other universities.鈥 Compared to its public counterparts there is less bureaucracy and hoops to jump through when it comes to getting approval for new research and initiatives, Rueda says.
Aguilar鈥檚 experience has been the same. Despite the school鈥檚 size, 鈥渨e鈥檙e very nimble,鈥 he says. 鈥淚f you come with a good idea, there鈥檚 not a lot of red tape to get from idea to pilot,鈥 Aguilar says, citing the Center for Generative AI and Society. Aguilar wrote the proposal for the Center with Sinatra and Research Professor of Computer Science, pitched the idea to the Provost鈥檚 office, and within a semester, the work was funded and underway.
Rueda also cites 海角论坛鈥檚 focus on urban education and the large numbers of clinical faculty who are able to be 鈥渕uch more responsive to local needs.鈥 Aguilar also sees the school鈥檚 location in Los Angeles as one of its strengths. There鈥檚 the 鈥減otential to do a lot of good work in a dense urban setting,鈥 Aguilar says.
Aguilar overlapped with Rueda briefly when he arrived at USC, but Aguilar credits Rueda for helping him to navigate USC and the profession. The two have remained in touch and Aguilar counts him as a mentor. Modestly, Rueda says that Aguilar will reach out to talk with him and 鈥減retend like he needs advice.鈥 Of Aguilar鈥檚 recent achievement, Rueda says that he鈥檚 鈥渞eally proud of the progress he鈥檚 made. He鈥檚 very serious about his work and had a clear sense of what it took to achieve tenure.鈥澨
While Aguilar is certainly proud to join the good company of Rueda, achieving tenure as a Mexican American, Aguilar says, should be the norm rather than something we draw attention to. Los Angeles is home to one of the largest populations of Mexican Americans in the United States. Roughly 35% of those living in L.A. County identified themselves as Mexican American in the 2022 census. Despite this fact, there remains a significant absence of Mexican Americans and Latinos in general among the ranks of tenured faculty at universities in Los Angeles, including USC.
Rueda was among a handful of faculty of Latino descent who received tenure in the 90s. And while these numbers are improving with the likes of USC faculty like Stephen Aguilar, and, there鈥檚 still room for improvement.听
鈥淲e鈥檝e always been present [in Los Angeles],鈥 Aguilar says. Mexican Americans, he says, have left their mark on L.A.鈥檚 culinary history and its culture. 鈥淭hat identity should be reflected at every level鈥攇overnment, academia鈥攚e should have multiple seats at the table.鈥
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The importance of tenure听
The concept of tenure鈥攖hat is, the status granted to some educators that gives them protection from dismissal鈥攊s largely unique to academia. It鈥檚 one of the things that sets academia apart from the corporate world, according to Rueda. With tenure, 鈥渘o one can tell you what to do or what to be interested in. It鈥檚 key to the free expression of ideas, especially at a research university.鈥 Rueda says.
Rueda was first awarded tenure at the University of Arizona, and he describes it as a 鈥渉uge relief鈥 that allowed him to take 鈥渁 longer-term view.鈥 Aguilar views tenure similarly. 鈥淸Tenure] allows us to take risks, but it doesn鈥檛 have to be a big risk. It could be a risk of time. You can let ideas simmer, and not every idea has to be fruitful. Some can even be dead ends so long as they teach you something..鈥 Before reaching tenure, Aguilar felt as if he was 鈥渙n a 6-year sprint.鈥.鈥
This approach can lead to stifled academic freedom, whether it be because an idea is far ahead of its time or because an idea is going to take a long time to bear fruit. 鈥淕ood science is slow,鈥 Aguilar says. 鈥淭enure lets us slow down.鈥
Tenure also allows faculty to give students more of a leading role in research. Aguilar explains that it also frees them up to have more time to serve on committees and be of service to the university, taking an active role in shared governance.
Despite the pressures of working toward tenure, Aguilar has been an active member of the USC community, sitting on a number of committees including co-chairing the Joint Provost/Academic Senate Committee on Teaching and Learning well as serving as a committee member of the Human Protection Council, Faculty Online Advisory Group and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Member.
Aguilar looks forward to continuing this work and being able to take a more active role in university governance. And, he鈥檚 already started: He was recently elected co-chair of the 海角论坛 Faculty Council. This role will evolve, with Augilar taking the helm of the council as chair for a term that will begin in fall 2025 and end in spring 2027.听
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Life after tenure
Aguilar has enjoyed these last few months as a tenured professor. It鈥檚 given him a moment to put down his suitcase and catch his breath. But, of course, the work continues. He鈥檚 already thinking about and working on new projects and expanding current ones.
His shift has focused to generative AI, where he has a number of active projects examining how students respond to AI chatbots, and whether or not their use affects students鈥 writing. He is also interested to see if new generative AI technologies will shift students鈥 academic motivation.听
Distinguished Professor Gale Sinatra, who co-leads work at the new Center and whom Aguilar counts as an important mentor says, "I am absolutely thrilled to see Dr. Aguilar听receive tenure. This will allow him to extend his contributions in technology and learning and AI and education beyond his already meaningful impact.
He continues to teach in 海角论坛鈥檚 doctoral programs, which includes serving as a dissertation advisor for PhD students. He鈥檚 also in the early stages of shaping a certificate program for educators that will focus on edtech and generative AI.
听Aguilar says that he is 鈥渉onored to have earned tenure at a place like 海角论坛. We are at the cutting edge of education research, and USC Rosier faculty are committed to making sure that our work has a positive impact on the broader community.鈥 He plans to continue building upon this legacy for as long as he can.听