Assistant Director
Iris Aguilar is the assistant director at the University of Southern California (USC) Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. Prior to joining USC, she was a project director with the UCLA Department of Geriatrics and a mental health services coordinator with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health.
Aguilar has more than 20 years of experience in the field of aging, and has worked in community agencies and major research universities to manage community-based research projects. She has developed a track record of establishing and sustaining strong partnerships with community groups through her work in program development and in facilitating focus and support groups. She is also a trainer for lay leaders in chronic disease self-management (Stanford CDSMP), and has been a consultant to agencies such as St. Barnabas Senior Center, the American Bar Association’s Commission on Law and Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association—conducting Spanish translations and providing technical assistance in the development of Spanish bilingual/bicultural projects. Aguilar holds a vocational nursing license, a bachelor’s degree in social work, a master’s degree in public administration, and a Doctorate in Policy, Planning and Development from USC Price School of Public Policy.