Mike Abel is Director of Research and Evaluation at the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership and Assistant Professor at National Louis University, where he designs and implements original research studies regarding administrative practice in early childhood programs. Mike chairs McCormick Center’s Whole Leadership committee. He is a principal researcher for the L.E.A.D. Early Childhood Clearinghouse, a web-based tool on the status of early childhood leadership in the United States. His research interests in organizational equity, distributed leadership, school-based instructional leadership, and family engagement has led to important studies for the McCormick Center. Mike also co-chairs the Research Strategies and Implementation group at National Louis University.

In addition to his work at the McCormick Center, he has experience as a researcher and instructor at the University of Missouri–Kansas City, operations manager and adjunct instructor at Metropolitan Community College, and directed a child care center and a private K- 8 academy. Dr. Abel’s previous research focused on state early childhood systems development, teacher preparation, support for highly vulnerable children and families, neighborhood schools, and family engagement in education.

Mike holds an Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Educational Leadership Policy and Foundations, an M.A. in Educational Administration, and an M.A. in Early Childhood Education. He served in a number of professional capacities with the National Association for the Education of Young Children including the NAEYC Affiliate Council Executive Committee, Missouri AEYC President, Vice-President of Illinois AEYC – Chicago Region, peer-reviewer for NAEYC’s Higher Education accreditation system.