Leonard Wallock’s educational background and professional experiences are deeply connected to his current work as Executive Director of PublicSquare. He holds a BA in history from Sarah Lawrence College and a PhD in American urban history from Columbia University. While teaching undergraduate history courses both at public and private colleges in New York City, Dr. Wallock lectured on behalf of the New York Council for the Humanities and co-directed Columbia University’s Seminar on the City. After becoming a tenured professor at Hunter College, Dr. Wallock accepted an administrative appointment at UCSB to serve first as Associate Director of the Interdisciplinary Humanities Center, then as Program Coordinator for the Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies, and finally as Associate Director of the Walter H. Capps Center for the Study of Ethics, Religion and Public Life. Across these administrative roles, Dr. Wallock programmed over 300 free, educational public lectures and forums for the local community. Dr. Wallock also served as a primary fundraiser for these educational programs, raising over $4,000,000 through matching grants, foundation grants, endowments, individual donations, and institutional co-sponsorships.