Ian Pumpian

Ian Pumpian is a professor of educational leadership at San Diego State University, where he has taught, supervised, and chaired dissertations for numerous school principals and district leaders. Over more than four decades at SDSU, he has held key roles including chair of the Department of Special Education and cofounder of the Interwork Institute, a multidisciplinary center focused on integrating individuals with disabilities into education, work, family, and community life.

Pumpian is the cofounder and CEO/president of Health Sciences High & Middle College (HSHMC) in San Diego, a charter school where he serves as president/chief educational officer and lead petitioner. He was previously executive director of the City Heights Educational Collaborative, overseeing educational programs for approximately 5,000 students and professional development for more than 300 teachers. Pumpian is a coauthor of Building Equity: Policies and Practices to Empower All Learners (ASCD, 2017) and How to Create a Culture of Achievement in Your School and Classroom (ASCD, 2012), both written with colleagues Dominique Smith, Nancy Frey, and Douglas Fisher.