Richard Sorenson is an associate professor in the Educational Leadership and Foundations Department at The University of Texas at El Paso. He served public schools for 25 years as a social studies teacher, principal, and associate superintendent for personnel. Currently, Sorenson works with graduate students at UTEP in the areas of school personnel, school-based budgeting, educational law, and leadership development. He was named The University of Texas at El Paso College of Education Professor of the Year in 2005, is involved in several educational initiatives on the U.S./Mexico border, and he is an active writer with numerous professional journal publications. He has also authored textbooks, teacher resource guides, and workbooks in the area of the elementary and secondary school social studies curricula. He conducts workshops at the state and national levels on topics such as principal preparation, instructional leadership, and effective teaching practices. His has been actively involved with the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA), the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP) in which he conducts annual New Principal Academy seminars, and the Texas Council for the Social Studies (TCSS). His research interest is in the area of the school principalship, specifically the examination of conditions and factors that inhibit and discourage lead teachers from seeking the school principalship as a career option. He received his EdD from Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi in the area of educational leadership.