The Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) has named California Lutheran University faculty member Trudy Tuttle Arriaga its Professor of Education of the Year.

Arriaga, the Distinguished Educator in Residence in Cal Lutheran’s Graduate School of Education, will receive the state award at a Nov. 3 dinner during the association’s annual Leadership Summit in San Jose.

The former superintendent joined Cal Lutheran’s faculty full time in 2015 after serving as an adjunct for nine years. She teaches in master’s and doctoral programs as well as the university’s new Institute for Executive Leadership in Education certificate program for administrators who would like to become superintendents. The Ventura resident has taught at the university level for more than two decades.

“She is one of the strongest educators I have come across in my many years in education,” said Michael Hillis, dean of Cal Lutheran’s School of Education. “She draws students into the program, provides them with relevant and provocative instruction, and cares deeply about how they develop through the experience.”

Since the 2015 release of the book she co-wrote with Randall P. Lindsey, “Opening Doors: An Implementation Template for Cultural Proficiency,” Arriaga has traveled across the country to help districts improve student engagement and achievement by focusing on diversity, equity, access and inclusion.

Arriaga coordinates professional development for new superintendents and mentoring programs for administrators through ACSA. In 2013, the California Association for Bilingual Education named her State Administrator of the Year and ACSA presented her with its Marcus Foster Memorial Award for Administrator Excellence. She was a 2015 Woman of the Year for the 37th Assembly District and 19th Senate District and the city of Ventura’s Citizen of the Year in 2012.

She joined Cal Lutheran’s faculty full time after retiring as superintendent of the Ventura Unified School District, whose headquarters was named in her honor. She served as the district’s first female superintendent for 14 years and in other roles, including teacher and principal, dating back to 1975. She earned a bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University, a master’s degree in educational administration and supervision from California State University, Northridge, and a doctorate in educational policy, planning and administration from the University of Southern California.

Cal Lutheran’s Graduate School of Education has helped prepare more than 8,000 teachers, counselors, administrators, principals and superintendents for careers in K-12 and university systems. It offers multiple master’s degree, doctoral and credential programs in Oxnard, Santa Maria, Thousand Oaks, Woodland Hills and online.