2025 Award Recipient
 

Kevin Mahnken
The 74

The 2025 Excellence in Media Reporting on Education Research Award recipient is Kevin Mahnken, for his empirically grounded and deeply investigative reporting, which brings clarity to some of the most pressing issues in K-12 education. With a distinctive blend of research dissemination and compelling storytelling, Mahnken elevates the voices of educational researchers, while shedding light on critical challenges facing schools, districts, and communities nationwide. His work provides essential context for policymakers and the public. Mahhken’s reporting embodies the spirit of this award, as it both "exposes inequities in our education system and elevates promising avenues for increasing equal educational opportunity for all students."

The Excellence in Media Reporting on Education Research Award is presented annually to an individual in the media who has demonstrated excellence in raising awareness, knowledge, and understanding of education research. Recipients of this award are persons who have made noteworthy contributions to reporting on findings, bodies of research, or scholarship in the field of education research in any medium of public communication. The award honors a media professional whose work exemplifies promoting a broader vision of the value of education research to society, whether sustained over a long period of time or substantial in its significance.