Paul A Bruno

Paul A. Bruno is an Assistant Professor of Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s College of Education. His research focuses on school finance, teacher quality, resource allocation, and computer science education policy, employing quantitative methodologies. He coordinates the Educational Administration and Leadership programs and teaches courses on public school finance, human resource management, and quantitative policy analysis.

Education:

• PhD in Urban Education Policy and MA in Economics (University of Southern California)
• MA in Science and Math Education (University of California, Berkeley)
• BAs in Philosophy and Molecular Biology (University of California, Berkeley)

Research Interests: Bruno investigates the intersection of education policy and quantitative analysis, including school funding mechanisms, teacher labor markets, and equitable access to computer science education. He emphasizes translating research into actionable policy briefs for practitioners and policymakers. His recent work addresses pandemic-era staffing challenges, union impacts on teacher compensation, and state policies shaping CS education.

Grants & Awards:

• Lead investigator on NSF grants totaling over $500,000 for studies on computer science education policy (2023–2026)
• Recipient of the 2025 Anonymous Reviewer of the Year (Education Finance and Policy)
• 14-time recipient of the Teachers Ranked Excellent by Their Students award (UIUC)

Labs/Teams: Bruno collaborates with the Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative and the National Education Finance Academy. His work bridges academia and practice, informing state-level education reforms and district-level decision-making.