Denisa Gándara
University of Texas at Austin

Hadis Anahideh
University of Illinois, Chicago

Matthew P. Ison
Northern Illinois University

Lorenzo Picchiarini
Interlake Mecalux
“Inside the Black Box: Detecting and Mitigating Algorithmic Bias Across Racialized Groups in College Student-Success Prediction"
AERA Open, Volume 10, July 2024.

The recipients of the 2025 Palmer O. Johnson Memorial Award are Denisa Gándara, Hadis Anahideh, Matthew P. Ison, and Lorenzo Picchiarini for their article, “Inside the Black Box: Detecting and Mitigating Algorithmic Bias Across Racialized Groups in College Student-Success Prediction,” published in AERA Open. Using nationally representative data and multiple machine learning approaches, the authors show that predictive models systematically used in higher education underperform for Black and Hispanic students, often misclassifying success and failure. This article exemplifies interdisciplinary inquiry—merging insights from data science, education policy, sociology, and racial equity studies—and offers an urgent call to action for institutions, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers using predictive analytics in student success who are committed to equity in data-driven decision-making.