Maria De La Garza is the associate dean of human resources and administration at the USC Gould School of Law. In this role, De La Garza oversees personnel and benefits functions for Gould’s 400-plus employees, guides the Gould HR and payroll teams, and manages executive recruitment strategies, among numerous duties. In addition, De La Garza directs three of the law school’s operational offices: Events, Academic Operations and Faculty Support.

De La Garza earned her master’s degree in alternative dispute resolution and bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Southern California.