Linda Petersen

Linda Petersen is vice president of the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), part of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). She joined WSCUC in 2016 and oversees accreditation processes and policy initiatives for higher education institutions. Previously, she held various research, teaching, and administrative positions at the University of California, Berkeley, including associate director for operations at the Berkeley Evaluation and Assessment Research (BEAR) Center and associate director for research at Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE). She also served as program manager at the University of California Office of the President, overseeing a system-wide project aimed at increasing STEM faculty diversity. Petersen’s legal experience includes work with the California Department of Education’s legal office as a legal researcher and state special education mediator. Her volunteer efforts include serving as a court-appointed special advocate (CASA) for children in the foster care system. Petersen earned both her MA and PhD in education from the University of California, Berkeley.

updated 2025