Dr. Darla Cooper

Dr. Darla M. Cooper is an educational leader and expert in research and evaluation dedicated to using inquiry, data, and evidence to improve the lives of all community college students.

Dr. Cooper has worked in the California Community Colleges system for over 25 years, having previously held institutional research director positions at Santa Barbara City College, Oxnard College, and Ohlone College. At The RP Group, she led or co-led three of the organization’s landmark studies: Student Support (Re)defined, a landmark research project that examined what supports student success; Through the Gate, a research study that examines what happens with students who appear ready to transfer, but do not; and African American Transfer Tipping Point and Geographic Barriers to Transfer, two studies that specifically examine transfer success among African American/Black, Hispanic/Latine, rural, and economically disadvantaged students.
Dr. Cooper recently completed her tenure on the Board of Directors for the Umoja Community Education Foundation after over six years of service, including four years as Board President. In 2024, the Speaker of the Assembly appointed her to serve as a member of the Associate Degree for Transfer Intersegmental Implementation Committee (“AB 928 Committee") in recognition of her extensive experience researching transfer from the community college to the university.

Dr. Cooper has extensive experience serving as an external evaluator for several federal and private foundation grants and has worked on various other projects designed to promote student success, including the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, The RP Group’s Bridging Research Information and Culture (BRIC) initiative, and the American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC) Pathways Project.

Dr. Cooper also has direct experience assisting students in achieving their educational goals in her previous work at the University of Southern California as a director of research and information, student services counselor, and ombudsperson. She holds a BA in psychology from the University of California, San Diego, and an MSEd and EdD from the University of Southern California.