November 2018

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) recently announced the members of a new standing committee designed to build capacity for science communication research, strengthen connections between science communication research and practice, and expand networks of science communication practitioners and researchers. Consisting of 16 members, the Standing Committee on Advancing Science Communication Research and Practice brings together experts with experience in a wide range of disciplines, including health, education, the environment, and other areas. 

Among those selected to serve on the committee is AERA member Cynthia E. Coburn, a professor at the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University. Coburn is an AERA Fellow and received AERA’s Early Career Award in 2011 and Palmer O. Johnson Award in 2006.

Coburn has examined the use of research in practice and policy in school settings. She has also examined research-practice partnerships in educational contexts. She helps to lead the National Center for Research in Policy and Practice, funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, which focuses on measuring use of research, understanding use of research in decision-making, and use of research in research-practice partnerships, among other topics. She also studies the relationship between instructional policy and teachers' classroom practices in urban schools.

More information about the committee and a complete list of members can be found here.