Deirdre L. Cobb-Roberts University of South Florida
The recipient of the 2025 Distinguished Contributions to Gender Equity in Education Research Award is Dr. Deidre Cobb-Roberts, an exemplary scholar whose groundbreaking research centers the experiences of Black women in higher education. A former McKnight Fellow, Dr. Cobb-Roberts has revolutionized the study of gendered racism and its effects on Black women faculty and administrators. With articles in prestigious journals and co-edited books, including Black Women, Academe, and the Tenure Process and Mentoring as Critically Engaged Praxis, she is a leading voice in the field. A professor, department chair, and mentor to nearly 100 doctoral students, she is a possibility model who exemplifies excellence in advancing gender equity and uplifting marginalized voices.
Established in 2006, the Distinguished Contributions to Gender Equity in Education Research Award recognizes individuals within AERA for distinguished research, professional practice, and activities that advance public understanding of gender and/or sexuality at any level in the education community. This award will be presented to an individual whose professional career has been devoted in substantial part to the study of gender and/or sexuality in education, and who has significantly advanced the field through extraordinary leadership, scholarship, or professional practice. The AERA Committee on Scholars and Advocates for Gender Equity in Education is charged by AERA Council with serving as the selection committee for this award.
2024 - Jennifer Esposito 2023 - Jackie Blount 2022 - Kimberly A. Scott 2021 - Elizabeth Meyer 2020 - Jessica Ringrose 2019 - sj Miller 2018 - Kristen A. Renn 2017 - Kathryn C. Scantlebury 2016 - James L. Moore III 2015 - Charol Shakeshaft 2013 - Geraldine J. Clifford 2012 - Cynthia B. Dillard 2011 - James Earl Davis 2010 - Valerie Polakow 2009 - Sandra Harding 2008 - Annette Henry 2007 - Aída Hurtado