Our Director

Akira Gutierrez Renzulli, PhD Founding Vice President of Research and Operations, Power Public Schools

Dr. Renzulli serves as Founding Vice President of Research and Operations at Power Public Schools. A bilingual (English/Spanish) child psychologist by training, Dr. Renzulli has spent more than 20 years working directly with students, families, and educators to build safer, more supportive schools and communities.
Her career began in classrooms and clinics: providing therapy to children and families facing anxiety, behavioral challenges, and trauma; running community-based summer camps for children with behavioral challenges; adapting social-emotional learning curricula for culturally diverse communities; and training teachers and school leaders in trauma-informed, equity-focused practices. She has led school-based suicide prevention initiatives, supported home-visiting programs for caregivers of young children, and partnered with charter schools, researchers, and community partners to strengthen whole student wellness, including sense of belonging, social-emotional development, and student agency.
Dr. Renzulli holds a PhD in Applied Social and Cultural Psychology, along with master’s degrees in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology and Applied Child Development. She brings this research-grounded, family-centered lens to her work building Power Public Schools’ systems and strategy, in collaboration with students, families, educators, and communities, ensuring every innovation stays rooted in what students, families, and educators actually need.
Dr. Renzulli lives in Georgia with her husband and two young children. In her down time, she enjoys gardening, crafting, and exploring new places.