Dr. Purnell received his Bachelors in Arts in 1997 from the University of Delaware with a concentration in Biology and a minor in Genetics. He received his Masters in Administration and Supervision in 2002 from Montclair State University and his Doctorate from Seton Hall University in 2008. Dr. Purnell ‘s research, entitled No Transient Child Left Behind, studied the link between student transience and standardized test scores on a global and local level.

Dr. Purnell has presented for the NJEA (2002), Techspo (2011), NJASA/NJSBA (2012) and served as a keynote speaker for the New Jersey Development Council Leadership Conference (2009) and Monmouth University Student Employment Awards (2008). His backpack research, in cooperation with Montclair State University, was featured in the New York Times and Star Ledger. He was also nominated to the Seton Hall Community Advisory Board and Advisory Council for the NJDOE Office of Governance & Leadership Development.

Dr. Purnell is the recipient of the You Make a Difference Award, Phoenix Award for Improving Student Achievement, Governor’s Teaching Recognition Award and Weston Teaching in Excellence Award. He received a Geraldine Dodge Fellowship School Leadership Award to study the Italian educational system.

21^st Century Leadership has always been a part of the fabric of his being. As a middle school science educator in Montclair in 2001, Dr. Purnell applied for a grant entitled Internet Accountability where parents could log into class and absent students could attend through a webcam and instant messenger. He submitted his first community blog entry in October of 2008 and his first tweet in October of 2009. Dr. Purnell’s blog was given the 2010 Top School District Blog Award.