Dr. Alan Swaney

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Dr. Alan Swaney is the Vice Principal of Academics at Crespi Carmelite High School, an all-boys Catholic college-preparatory school and Gurian Institute Center for Educational Excellence in Los Angeles. As a school administrator, teacher, and Gurian Certified Trainer, he has devoted his career to helping young people grow as capable students, resilient individuals, and men and women of character.

Dr. Swaney’s professional work centers on secondary education, instructional leadership, curriculum development, faculty formation, and the distinctive developmental needs of adolescent boys. His doctoral research explored the relationships among transformational leadership, teacher autonomy, and teacher retention – interests that continue to shape his work with teachers and school leaders. He believes that meaningful educational improvement occurs when research is translated into practical strategies that teachers can use immediately and adapt thoughtfully to their own students.

Through the Gurian Institute, Dr. Swaney has presented on educating diverse boys, supporting healthy male development, and helping schools create intentional pathways through which boys can mature into compassionate, responsible, and purposeful men. His training approach combines developmental neuroscience, classroom practice, school leadership, and the lived experience of working in an all-boys educational environment.

Dr. Swaney works with educators, administrators, coaches, and parents to better understand how gender and development influence learning, motivation, behavior, relationships, and school culture. His presentations invite participants to move beyond stereotypes and toward a more nuanced understanding of students by pairing high expectations with structures that foster belonging, resilience, empathy, and genuine growth.