| Expertise | Leadership, Education, Charter Schools |
| Personal Statement | Making miracles for children |
| Qualification and Experience | Gloria Bonilla-Santiago is Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor, at Rutgers University. In 1997, Dr. Santiago opened LEAP Academy University Charter School as one of 13 inaugural public charter schools in the state of New Jersey. Putting policy into practice, she established the only school in the state to offer all the necessary building blocks for a strong community. Originally an elementary school serving 300 students, it has grown to serve nearly 900 students and encompass the entire learning spectrum, from preschool to 12th grade. The results speak for themselves. Of the four senior classes to graduate from LEAP Academy, every single student has been accepted into college. A daughter of Puerto Rican migrant workers, Dr. Santiago is a passionate and enthusiastic educator who has focused on helping the residents of challenged communities like the one where she grew up thrive through education and professional development. Dr. Santiago is committed to transforming America’s poorest city through education. A leading scholar, she is an internationally renowned speaker on the areas of education reform, community development, and diversity management. She also contributes regularly to major local print and broadcast news outlets around the nation. Gloria Bonilla SantiagoDr. Santiago’s record of service and the impact of her work are exemplary. She believes that a successful community must be built from the bottom up, beginning with a foundation of excellent educational opportunities, access to preventative healthcare, and collaborative partnerships. It is this philosophy that Dr. Santiago has employed to advance the lives of poor and minority children in Camden, New Jersey. In 1997, Dr. Santiago opened LEAP Academy University Charter School as one of 13 inaugural public charter schools in the state of New Jersey. Putting policy into practice, she established the only school in the state to offer all the necessary building blocks for a strong community. Originally an elementary school serving 300 students, it has grown to serve nearly 900 students and encompass the entire learning spectrum, from preschool to 12th grade. The results speak for themselves. Of the four senior classes to graduate from LEAP Academy, every single student has been accepted into college. The Annie E. Casey Foundation named LEAP a “Sign of Hope” for the children and families of the city. Dr. Santiago’s hard work has also earned the school praise from the state, which awarded it both the New Jersey Public Charter School Exemplary School Award and the 2002-2003 Pioneer Award from New Jersey Department of Education. Next year, Dr. Santiago will release her third book, “Miracle on Cooper Street,” a highly anticipated account of how she single-handedly transformed America’s poorest and neglected city through education. In this book, she challenges academic institutions of higher learning, local and state politicians and the community to rethink community development and urban public education. Dr. Santiago also has received the Warren I. Susman Award for Excellence in Teaching, the highest recognition for teaching given to Rutgers' faculty by the President of the University. And, in 2008, she was awarded the L’Oreal Paris Women Of Worth award, a national recognition that honors 10 women for their transcending service to communities. Gloria Bonilla-Santiago is Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor at the Department of Public Policy & Administration and Director of the Center for Strategic Urban Community Leadership at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. She received a B.A. from Glassboro State College; an M.S.W. from Rutgers University; an M.A. in Philosophy, and a Ph.D. in Sociology from City University of New York and completed post-doctoral studies at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. |
| First Name |
gloria |
| Last Name |
Bonilla-Santiago |
| Profile Name |
Dr.Gloria Bonilla-Santiago |