Thomas Poon
Thomas Poon was appointed the seventeenth president of Loyola Marymount University on June 1, 2025. A scientist by training, an educator by vocation, and a Catholic leader formed by the Jesuit and Marymount traditions, President Poon leads LMU with a vision grounded in hope, expanded access, and the formation of leaders for and with others. His career reflects a deep commitment to academic excellence, inclusive opportunity, and the enduring mission of Catholic higher education.
Since joining LMU in 2017 as Executive Vice President and Provost, the university has experienced a period of extraordinary academic growth and national recognition. Under his leadership, LMU opened its third campus in Playa Vista, California; earned a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa; launched 21 new academic programs; increased support for faculty research and creative activity by more than 80 percent; achieved Carnegie’s R2 research classification; and received federal designations as both a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander–Serving Institution, and designation as a Black-Serving Institution by the State of California. Additionally, LMU has been designated as a “Program to Watch” by Excelencia in Education and been repeatedly named to Phi Theta Kappa’s National Honor Roll for its support of transfer students’ academic and professional success.
President Poon’s leadership is distinguished by his belief in the teacher-scholar model, in which rigorous research and transformative teaching are mutually reinforcing. He has also emphasized global engagement and experiential learning, expanding partnerships and opportunities that prepare students to lead ethically in an interconnected world.
As president, Dr. Poon has articulated a clear vision for LMU: to expand access to an LMU education, to build bridges between campus and community, and to form leaders through Ignatian excellence. His work has strengthened philanthropic investment in scholarships and student success, advanced innovative partnerships across Los Angeles and beyond, and connected LMU’s mission to the cultural, civic, and global life of the region.
President Poon earned his B.S. in chemistry from Fairfield University and Ph.D. in organic chemistry from UCLA. He serves on the boards of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies and as a councilmember of the Pacific Council on International Policy. In 2026, President Poon was named to the Los Angeles Business Journal’s LA 500 Most Influential People in L.A.
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Updated May 2026