Dr. Nickey Woods is the associate dean for student life and community engagement, and dean of students for the JD Program at the USC Gould School of Law.

Her professional expertise encompasses building community and belonging in organizations of higher education, initiatives to promote student well-being, and learning and motivation. Dr. Woods previously served as a director in student affairs at UCLA and as an assistant dean in UCLA’s Graduate Division.

She is also the faculty advisor for Gould’s Sports Law Society and has developed professional development initiatives for student-athletes and moderated high-profile panels featuring sports executives and professional athletes. She has a growing presence in sports media and event hosting, leveraging her background as a former athlete to advocate for the advancement of women’s sports.

A first-generation college student, she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology at UCLA, where she was an honor roll, all-conference member of the women’s basketball team. She earned a master’s degree in education with an emphasis in cross-cultural teaching at National University and a doctorate in educational leadership, with a concentration in educational psychology, at the USC Rossier School of Education.