Meet the Staff

Lauren Casella, Ed.D.

Lauren Casella, Ed.D. is the Interim Director of CCE as well as the academic program director for SOE's Catholic School Leadership Academy and assistant clinical professor of educational leadership and administration. Her academic work supports and builds the leadership capacity of Catholic school principals and future Catholic school leaders locally, nationally, and internationally.

Before entering higher education, Dr. Casella served Catholic elementary schools within the Chicago Archdiocese for ten years as a teacher at St. John of the Cross Parish School in Western Springs, Illinois and as a teacher, administrator, and principal at The Frances Xavier Warde School in Chicago. She served as a faculty lecturer at LMU in the Department of Teaching and Learning before joining the faculty full-time.

Dr. Casella has also provided ongoing support of local Catholic schools  in the LMU Family of Schools, with a focus on the integration of social and emotional learning (SEL) curricula that fosters a positive school climate and culture. Support included faculty professional learning seminars, mentoring, parent education, and mission-driven leadership consultation. Dr. Casella's partnership with Archdiocese of Los Angeles Department of Catholic Schools encompasses areas of both academic achievement and leadership development initiatives.

Dr. Casella holds a B.A. in liberal studies from LMU, a master's degree in leadership and supervision from Loyola University Chicago, and a doctoral degree in educational leadership and teacher education in Multicultural Societies from University of Southern California. She holds an Illinois General Administrative Credential, an Illinois Teaching License, and a California Teaching BCLAD Credential. Her teaching and research interests include leadership theory and applications related to the Catholic school principalship, mission-driven leadership, principal mentorship, teacher education, and innovative instructional practices in support of exceptional Catholic education.

Christopher Aquino, Ed.D. ’23, Director of Catholic Teaching Programs

Bio coming soon

Sister Mary Angela Shaughnessy, SCN, J.D., Ph.D., Senior Distinguished Fellow

Sr. Angie is the Senior Distinguished Fellow of LMU’s Center for Catholic Education. A Sister of Charity of Nazareth, she has served in nearly every capacity – teacher, principal, professor, graduate school dean and university vice-president. Sr. Angie holds a Ph.D. in educational administration and a Juris Doctorate. She is considered the national expert on Catholic education and the law. She currently teaches in SOE’s Catholic School Leadership Academy in the Department of Educational Leadership. She is the founding director of the Education Law Symposium, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, in partnership with LMU and the NCEA. She also serves as a consultant to numerous schools and dioceses and is a highly sought after speaker. She is the author of more than thirty texts. Sr. Angie is the recipient of numerous awards, including being named one of the most influential persons in Catholic education.  Recently, she received the NCEA St. Elizabeth Ann Seton President’s Award, the highest award in Catholic education.

Kara Lemma, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate

Bio coming soon