Andrea Venezia

Andrea Venezia is the newly appointed Executive Director of the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics (BCSP), effective July 23, 2024.14 She brings over 25 years of experience in equity-focused research, education, and public policy to this role.1

Professional Background

Venezia has an extensive career in academia and research:

• Previously served as a senior principal research scientist at SRI International1
• Worked as a professor and executive director of the Education Insights Center at California State University, Sacramento13
• Associate Professor in the Public Policy & Administration department at Sacramento State35
• Executive Director of the Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy at Sacramento State3

Education

• Ph.D. in Public Policy from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin13
• M.A. in Administration and Policy Analysis in Higher Education from Stanford University13
• B.A. in English from Pomona College13

Research and Publications

Venezia has authored numerous reports, chapters, articles, and books, including:

• "Supporting the College Dream" (2015)
• "Minding the Gap: Why Integrating High School with College Makes Sense and How to Do It" (2007)
• "From High School to College" (2004)1

Her research focuses on improving student success and readiness in postsecondary education, particularly for historically marginalized student populations.1

Role at UC Berkeley

As Executive Director of the BCSP, Venezia plans to:

• Embed equity-driven leadership across the center's interdisciplinary work
• Foster inclusive partnerships
• Strengthen community connections
• Bridge psychedelic science and society12

Venezia is committed to advancing cutting-edge science while prioritizing equity and community engagement in the field of psychedelic research.1