The USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy is proud to announce that former United States Secretary of Education Miguel A. Cardona, Ed.D., has joined its Board of Advisors. With decades of experience as an educator, administrator, and policymaker, Cardona brings a deep commitment to equity, innovation, and bipartisanship in education and public service.
“I am honored to welcome Secretary Cardona to the Schwarzenegger Institute,” said Institute Chairman and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. “Throughout his career, Miguel has been a champion for students and families. We both share a deep commitment to expanding access to quality after-school programs, which play a critical role in keeping kids safe and helping them reach their full potential. Miguel’s leadership on closing opportunity gaps and expanding access to quality education aligns perfectly with our mission to put people over politics and champion solutions that work.”
Appointed by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate, Secretary Cardona served from 2021 to 2025, leading the U.S. Department of Education during one of the most challenging periods in American educational history. He guided the nation’s schools through recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, oversaw efforts to boost student mental health, expanded career and technical education, and fought to make college more affordable.
Cardona’s addition to the Board of Advisors reflects the Institute’s continued commitment to bringing together leaders from across the political spectrum who share real-world experience and a focus on practical, solutions-oriented policymaking. Cardona joins a distinguished group of advisors that includes former elected officials, scholars, and civic leaders from across the country.
“Joining the University of Southern California’s Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy is a wonderful opportunity to continue the bipartisan work to improve learning conditions for students across the country and world. Getting beyond the politics and focusing on our students’ needs is what drives my work, and that of the Gov. Schwarzenegger and the Institute. Glad to be a part of it.” said Dr. Cardona.
USC Price School of Public Policy Dean and C. Erwin and Ione L. Piper Chair Chris Boone welcomed the appointment: “Miguel Cardona embodies the kind of public servant our students aspire to become: principled, pragmatic, and focused on impact. His experience and insight will be a tremendous asset to the Schwarzenegger Institute and the broader USC community.”