Dr. Manuel Ponce, Jr. currently serves as a clinical associate professor and director of the Institute of School Leadership and Administration (ISLA) at Loyola Marymount University (LMU). He Joined LMU in August of 2015 after spending the beginning of his career as an elementary and middle school teacher, a principal of a high achieving charter middle school, PUC Lakeview Charter Academy, and most recently the regional superintendent for PUC Schools (Valley). He has also served as a university supervisor and adjunct professor in the LMU ISLA program. Manuel earned his BA in liberal studies from California State University, Northridge and his MA in educational leadership as a Fellow in the Charter School Leadership Academy at Loyola Marymount University. In 2010, he was named Student of the Year for the LMU School of Education and in 2013, earned a Doctorate in educational leadership for social justice from LMU. Manuel has held board positions such as board chair of the PUC Schools Board of Trustees, PUC National and WISH Charter Schools. His research areas include educational leadership preparation, communities of practice, charter and traditional public school collaboration, and urban school reform.