Diana LaRocco

Dr. Diana J. LaRocco is Dean of the School of Applied Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and at Goodwin university in East Hartford, Connecticut. Before coming to Goodwin, she held a full-time faculty position in the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership at the University of Hartford in Hartford Connecticut for over 12 years. There she served as the major advisor for 50 completed dissertations examining issues in K-20 education. Among other doctoral level courses, she instructed children, families, and community; strategic planning; research methods; and instructional design. Diana also taught undergraduate courses in early childhood and 6th year courses in school administration.

While at the University of Hartford, Diana was the Director of the Center for Leadership in Education and Health in the Institute for Translational Research in the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions. She also served as the University's Coordinator of Assessment. In service to the university, Diana was a member of the Human Subjects Committee, and the college's academic standing and promotion and tenure committees.

Before coming to the University of Hartford, Diana was the Director of Research and Grants in the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services (formerly the Department of Mental Retardation). Diana has over 29 years' experience working in the field of developmental disabilities and has extensive experience as a special education teacher working with infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. She also administered a birth-to-three program in the Northwest area of Connecticut. Diana has been an active member of The International Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children for many years and has held several positions in DEC Governance. She is a Past President and currently chairs the Policy and Advocacy Committee.

Diana's research interests focus primarily on examining what can be characterized as new forms of shared leadership and three related areas of study: leveraging personal power, advocating, and collaborating. This type of leadership is not related to formal positions of power or authority, and it spans a variety of organizational settings, including schools (K-12), institutions of higher education, and public and not for profit human services organizations.

Diana earned her doctoral degree in Education from the University of Hartford in Hartford, Connecticut. She also has a B.S. in Psychology and M.S. in Elementary Special Education from Central Connecticut State University and a 6th year in Administration and Supervision from the University of Hartford.