Dr. Marilee Bresciani Ludvik is Director of Academic Effectiveness and WSCUC Accreditation Liaison Officer at the University of San Diego, where she also serves as Professor of Practice in Leadership Studies. With over 25 years of higher education experience, Dr. Bresciani Ludvik has established herself as a leading expert in outcomes-based assessment, equity-driven program review, and neuroscience-informed approaches to student learning and development.
Dr. Bresciani Ludvik's academic leadership journey includes serving as Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness at Loyola University Chicago, Chair and Tenured Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Texas Arlington, and Tenured Professor of Postsecondary Educational Leadership at San Diego State University. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated exceptional skill in leading institutional assessment initiatives, designing innovative academic programs, and fostering collaborative research teams.
Her scholarly contributions are extensive, with over 70 peer-reviewed journal articles, 27 book chapters, and multiple books including "Equity-Driven High Achievement Outcomes-Based Assessment of Student Learning and Development" and "The Neuroscience of Learning and Development." Dr. Bresciani Ludvik's research focuses on closing equity gaps through intrapersonal competency cultivation, applying learning science to assessment practices, and developing evidence-based approaches to student success.
As founder of the Intrapersonal Competency Cultivation Research Team, she has led  multi-institutional research examining how attention, emotion, and cognitive regulation training can improve student outcomes, particularly for underrepresented populations. Her work has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, Ascendium, and various institutional sources.
Dr. Bresciani Ludvik's service to the profession is exemplary, including roles as Honorary QA Auditor for the International Association for Quality Assurance in Pre-Tertiary and Higher Education, member of the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Council, and service on numerous professional association boards. Her expertise is sought internationally, having conducted workshops and consultations at over 100 institutions worldwide.
Her contributions have been recognized with prestigious awards including the ACPA Contribution to Knowledge Award, the International Association for Student Personnel's Robert H. Shaffer Award for Academic Excellence, and the UNESCO/MGIEP Senior Research Fellowship.
Dr. Bresciani Ludvik holds a Ph.D. in Administration, Curriculum, and Instruction with an emphasis in Higher Education from the University of Nebraska, and continues to advance the field through her innovative integration of neuroscience, assessment practices, and equity-driven approaches to higher education.