The AERA Fellows Program honors outstanding education scholars, promotes excellence in education research as an interdisciplinary scholarship, and inspires emerging scholars to value sustained research achievements.
Click the name to jump to each fellow's citation of accomplishment and introductory video.
Audrey Amrein-Beardsley, Arizona State University
Dr. Audrey Amrein-Beardsley is an internationally recognized authority on educational accountability. She is a professor at Arizona State University in the Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation. Dr. Amrein-Beardsley studies the validity, reliability, and equity of various measurement instruments, research that has significantly influenced the use of test-based evaluation systems. She has published two ground-breaking books—Rethinking Value-Added Models in Education and Student Growth Measures in Policy and Practice—and more than 120 scholarly papers. She has also testified as an expert witness in many precedent-setting legal cases involving the use of test data in school enrollment, employment, and funding decisions. In addition, she has often shared her insights through major media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and National Public Radio, as well as her own popular blog. Dr. Amrein-Beardsley’s seminal work has transformed perspectives and policies on educational assessment tools and systems, advancing more rigorous and just practices.
Anthony Artino, George Washington University
Dr. Anthony Artino is among the most renowned scholars in medical education. He is a professor and associate dean for educational research at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Applying constructs from educational psychology, he has examined how beliefs and emotions shape the learning of medical trainees in clinical contexts and developed evidence-based methods for remedying trainees’ performance difficulties. Dr. Artino has also conducted longitudinal studies that enable medical schools to evaluate their programs and trainee outcomes more effectively. As a lead consultant to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, he has supervised the redesign of surveys that have informed and improved accreditation decisions for thousands of residency and fellowship programs. He ranks among the top 1 percent of scientists worldwide by Google Scholar journal article citations. His feature “Last Page” for Academic Medicine, which simplifies complicated educational concepts, regularly reaches a global audience. Dr. Artino’s work has fundamentally altered how professional education is taught.
Robert Balfanz, Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Robert Balfanz is one of the world’s leading experts in high school completion and dropout prevention. He is a Distinguished Professor in the School of Education at Johns Hopkins University and directs its Everyone Graduates Center. As a founder of the National Partnership for Student Success, he brought together the center, the U.S. Department of Education, AmeriCorps, and the White House to support the educational success of students nationwide. Dr. Balfanz’s research into problems like chronic absenteeism has led to new federal and state polices and the implementation of large-scale interventions that have improved the graduation rates of students, especially those in underserved communities. Such work has contributed to the development of early-warning and support systems that thousands of schools now use. He is the author of numerous influential articles, reports, and books, including Continuous Improvement in High Schools: Helping Students Succeed. Dr. Balfanz’s research has improved student success on a broad scale and positively impacted the lives of millions of students.
Keith Barton, Indiana University Bloomington
Dr. Keith Barton has conducted field-defining research in social studies, history, and civic education. A professor in the School of Education at Indiana University Bloomington, his studies of the historical understandings of students in various national and cultural contexts have been foundational for a generation of scholars. His innovative research and methodological techniques have illuminated what historical knowledge is and is not, why students have difficulty learning it, and how to design interviews with teachers and students to produce higher quality data. One of the most widely published scholars in his field, Dr. Barton has written six books and over 75 articles and book chapters, and his publications have been translated into many languages. Teachers, scholars, and government leaders around the world have called upon him to help them strengthen their research, practices, and policies. Dr. Barton’s work has played a pivotal role in guiding educators and policymakers on ways to deepen the historical understanding of children and youth from diverse countries and backgrounds.
Margaret Beier, Rice University
Dr. Margaret Beier leads the field in examining how a person develops intellectual abilities and what motivates them to continue learning. A professor and chair of the Department of Psychological Sciences at Rice University, she has studied how young children learn, researched training of adults in the workforce, and investigated the continuing education of aging populations. Dr. Beier’s research focuses on how cognitive, psychological, and motivational factors all influence learning. She has explored the impact of age, ability, and prior knowledge on the acquisition of skills, and whether self-efficacy and a goal orientation encourage persistence in learning new tasks. She has published many highly respected reports, including “Training and Developing the Aging Workforce” and “Adult Learning in Military Contexts,” contributed to numerous scholarly journals, and served as associate editor of the Journal of Applied Psychology and on three National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committees. Dr. Beier has forged new frontiers in discovering how people learn at all phases of their lives.
Robert Q. Berry III, Indiana University Bloomington
Dr. Robert Berry’s research has transformed mathematics education by examining its intersection with race and identity. He is dean and professor at the Indiana University Bloomington School of Education. Determining that previous attempts to create equity have only further marginalized Black male students in math, he has highlighted alternative ways to help students develop positive identities and see themselves as capable of learning and using math. A past president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Dr. Berry helped create models for justice-oriented teaching and learning, led the development of the Mathematics Scan to measure whether mathematics teaching reflects standards-based practices, and encouraged other scholars to use research for systemic change. Elected to the National Academy of Education, he has received multiple awards, and in 2024, the Virginia Council of Mathematics Specialists named its Equity Award in his honor. Dr. Berry’s efforts to improve mathematics education in ways that acknowledge all students’ identities and needs have profoundly influenced the field and shaped educators’ and learners’ experiences.
H. Gerald Campano, University of Pennsylvania
Dr. H. Gerald Campano is widely acclaimed for his scholarship on literacy and his encouragement of long-term partnerships between universities and their communities. A professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, his research focuses on historically disenfranchised students’ educational access and success. His pathfinding projects include an in-depth study of immigrant and refugee school children dealing with the disruptive forces of migration and displacement. Rather than conduct research that emphasizes fixing the deficits of people in marginalized communities, Dr. Campano seeks a multiplicity of perspectives to empower those individuals’ lived experiences and wisdom. He has written four books and 40 journal articles, serves as co-editor of Research in the Teaching of English, and is out-going president of the National Council of Research on Language and Literacy. His work has earned prestigious awards from the National Council for Teachers of English, the Literacy Research Association, and the Spencer Foundation. Through his scholarship, Dr. Campano has significantly expanded underserved people’s pathways to educational opportunities and social and economic equity.
Joseph R. Cimpian, New York University
Dr. Joseph Cimpian is one of the nation’s leading scholars on educational inequities. He is a professor of economics and education policy at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University His research focuses on gender disparities in STEM, the testing placement of English learners, and the stresses on LGBTQ students. Using large-scale longitudinal data, Dr. Cimpian has identified how, by underrating girls’ math abilities, teachers cause gender disparities in math achievement as early as elementary school. His examination of English learner reclassification policies and implications for student achievement have informed policy across the nation. And he has studied the impact of bullying on LGBTQ youth and the need for broader interventions beyond just anti-bullying programs. He has published nearly 50 peer-reviewed articles in Educational Researcher and other leading journals, co-edited Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, and served on 10 editorial boards. Dr. Cimpian’s work has been invaluable in removing barriers and promoting fairness for all students.
Timothy Cleary, Rutgers University
Dr. Timothy Cleary has contributed enormously to the understanding of how to teach and assess students’ self-regulated learning, also known as SRL. He is interim associate dean of research and professor in the Department of School Psychology at Rutgers University. His work has focused on creating a wide array of assessment tools that capture the various components of SRL, like motivation, that guide successful interventions—especially for students at risk academically and from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. He has found that using multiple methods and a multisource assessment system is the most effective way to develop hypotheses about how students behave and function in school. Dr. Cleary has translated his research on SRL into practical applications through developing the Self-Regulation Empowerment Program for middle and high schools. Along with 53 peer-reviewed articles, he has written publications like The Self-Regulated Learning Guide for K-12 teachers. Dr. Cleary’s work has greatly enhanced educators’ ability to assess and support student learning throughout differing contexts.
Laurie Cutting, Vanderbilt University
Dr. Laurie Cutting is one of the leading experts in the mechanisms through which children read and comprehend text. The Patricia and Rodes Hart Chair Professor of Neuroscience and associate provost for research and innovation at Vanderbilt University, discovered, for instance, that reading comprehension relies not only on language and decoding networks but also executive control and integrative systems in the prefrontal cortex. Her findings have distinguished between different types of reading disabilities and helped differentiate children who respond to intervention from those who require additional support. Dr. Cutting has published more than 130 peer-reviewed publications, serves on the boards of major national organizations focused on learning disabilities, and has won numerous awards such as the Women in Cognitive Science’s Leadership Award. She has also testified to state legislators, advised government officials, and made over 100 presentations to educational professionals. Dr. Cutting’s research has redefined how educators conceptualize reading comprehension and disabilities in ways that have markedly improved classroom practice.
Eric Dearing, Boston College
Dr. Eric Dearing has advanced vital scholarship on how to improve opportunities for young children in school. He is a professor and executive director of the Mary E. Walsh Center for Thriving Children at Boston College, and his research focuses on the impact of families, schools, and neighborhoods on the academic progress of children in poverty and effective educational interventions to support that progress. For example, he has field-tested resources that help parents encourage their children to learn math through daily activities like helping shop for groceries. He has authored over 100 scholarly journals and written numerous other influential articles and books, as well as served on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine panel that produced the report Parenting Matters. He is a member of the Development and Research on Early Mathematics Education Network and has spoken before Congress and been cited in numerous major media outlets. Dr. Dearing’s leadership in the field continues to greatly benefit young children in disadvantaged circumstances.
Jimmy de la Torre, University of Hong Kong
Dr. Jimmy de la Torre is widely recognized as one of the top scholars in cognitive diagnostic modeling and psychometric theory. He is a professor in the Department of Human Communications, Learning, and Development at the University of Hong Kong. His methodological innovations have transformed how researchers conceptualize and measure students’ latent attributes and significantly influenced large-scale assessment, learning analytics, and adaptive testing. The software program he developed with a former student has made sophisticated diagnostic modeling accessible to researchers and practitioners around the globe. Dr. de la Torre is president-elect of the Psychometric Society for the 2025-2026 term and has received numerous awards, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. His work has been cited more than10,000 times, and the Stanford/Elsevier rankings consistently list him among the top 2 percent of scientists in social sciences and education. He has served as editor of the Journal of Educational Measurement and on 10 journal boards. Dr. de la Torre’s work has substantially advanced how people worldwide conduct diagnostic assessments in education.
Thurston Domina, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Dr. Thurston Domina is widely recognized for his research into how various school policies produce and perpetuate inequality for students from early grades through college and for his identification of effective strategies to combat such inequality. The Robert Wendell Eaves Sr. Distinguished Professor in Educational Leadership and senior associate dean for academic affairs in the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he has explored academic sorting and tracking in grade school, college remediation, school discipline, diversity efforts, and many other factors. By conducting longitudinal studies that link state databases, Dr. Domina has also examined how different policies in various contexts impact students’ education. He has served as editor of Educational Researcher and published close to 70 articles and three influential books. In identifying a far broader range of factors that contribute to how K-12 schools create inequities, Dr. Domina’s work has reshaped the field’s understanding of how to intervene to improve outcomes for all students.
Ravit Golan Duncan, Rutgers University
Dr. Ravit Golan Duncan conducts pioneering research into learning progressions and curriculum design. A professor of learning sciences and science education at Rutgers University, she explores how students develop their understanding of the sciences and learn to analyze, evaluate, and interpret evidence. She authored one of the field’s most-cited papers laying out the case for inquiry-based learning in Educational Psychologist, was the lead editor of the International Handbook of Inquiry and Learning, and served in a leadership role on a statewide committee convened to inform New Jersey’s implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards. Dr. Duncan has also championed social justice, encouraging educators to address how racism and systemic inequities intersect scientific disciplines. She served as president of the International Society for Learning Sciences and has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles in the Journal of Learning Sciences and other highly regarded publications. By producing research that is widely read, cited, and applied, Dr. Duncan has greatly illuminated how students learn science—and in ways that advance equity and inclusion.
David Feldon, Utah State University
Dr. David Feldon has been at the forefront of identifying the mechanisms that support learning and the development of expertise in higher education, particularly in STEM and graduate education. He is a professor of instructional technology and learning sciences, and vice provost of graduate studies at Utah State University. He investigates the factors shaping students’ experiences and opportunities, including how cognition, motivation, and broader cultural and structural elements influence their educational advancement. Dr. Feldon has researched the challenges and inequities that marginalized students in particular confront and identified strategies to promote student success. His work has garnered more than $20 million in external funding, including 17 different grants from the National Science Foundation. He serves as editor-in-chief of Instructional Sciences, and he received a Fulbright Scholar Award to study how newly implemented oral dissertation defenses and the surrounding academic culture impact Australian students’ development. Dr. Feldon has provided invaluable insights into how graduate schools can widen access to diverse students and substantially improve their education and outcomes.
John Ferron, University of South Florida
Dr. John Ferron is a national leader in studying the methodological foundations of single-case experimental designs. As a professor in the College of Education at the University of South Florida, he has developed empirically validated ways of testing educational interventions at the individual level—an invaluable advance when researchers are not able to conduct large-scale randomized trials. He led the creation of the open-access guide, “Effect Size Estimation and Synthesis of Single-Case Designs,” funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, which provides a comprehensive framework on the topic and enables researchers worldwide to conduct reproducible and equitable analyses regardless of their institution’s resources. Dr. Ferron also works with the U.S. Department of Education and other groups to ensure the transparency of research findings, especially those concerning students with disabilities or in marginalized populations. He has published over 100 articles in peer-reviewed publications and received grants totaling more than $15 million. Dr. Ferron has significantly advanced how researchers conceptualize, analyze, and synthesize evidence in real-life settings.
Megan Franke, University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Megan Franke has made outstanding scholarly contributions to the field of mathematics. She is a professor and vice chair of professional programs in the School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. Beginning with her foundational work in Cognitively Guided Instruction, she has identified new ways that students and teachers can build relationships to improve learning in mathematics. Dr. Franke has written over 80 peer-reviewed journal articles that researchers and practitioners in many fields well beyond mathematics have drawn upon, and her Google Scholar citation count is close to 25,000. Those publications, and her books, like the award-winning Young Children’s Mathematics, have markedly impacted classroom teaching in a range of subjects, and she has received AERA’s Relating Research to Practice Award. She has spoken at the White House, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and other forums about inequality in schools. Dr. Franke’s research has reshaped how educators teach and students learn math and other critical subjects.
Brian French, Washington State University
Dr. Brian French is a renowned leader in the design, evaluation, and validation of educational measurements that are reliable, fair, and equitable. He is Regents Professor and Berry Family Distinguished Professor at Washington State University. His scholarship examines how test scores are interpreted and used in decisions about individuals and groups, addressing critical challenges of fairness and equity and shaping more responsible assessment practices in education. Dr. French has worked on federally funded projects that inform the instruction of exceptional children, collaborated with Indigenous and bilingual communities to challenge traditional standardized testing constructs and to advance cultural validity, and designed a tool to help educators identify students at risk for dropping out of school. He has contributed to over 150 journals and served as an editorial board member or reviewer for close to two dozen peer-review publications, including the Journal of School Psychology and Journal of International Testing. Dr. French’s scholarship on anti-bias and justice-oriented assessment has influenced a generation of researchers.
Hunter Gehlbach, Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Hunter Gehlbach is highly regarded for his contributions to research on improving the social contexts of schools. He is a professor and director of the doctorate program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education. His scholarship on social perspective-taking has helped educators and learners better interpret one another’s thoughts and intentions. That work has led to changes in policy and practice that have improved teacher-student relationships and ultimately student achievement. A national leader in climate-change education, Dr. Gehlbach has also championed environmental literacy in K-12 curricula and teacher training programs. Moreover, he is an outspoken advocate for open science and has worked to redefine norms around transparency and reproducibility in education research. He has received funding from the National Science Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation, and other organizations, and his scholarship has appeared in numerous top journals and major media outlets like the New York Times, The Atlantic, and Psychology Today. Dr. Gehlbach’s work has had an invaluable impact on teacher-student relationships, climate education, and the rigor and transparency of education research.
Krista Glazewski, North Carolina State University
Dr. Krista Glazewski has made seminal contributions to problem-based and collaborative learning environments supported by current and emerging technologies. She is the executive director of the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation and associate dean for Translational Research in the College of Education at North Carolina State University. Her scholarship has documented how complex problem-solving and inquiry-based approaches can be implemented at scale in real-world settings. Dr. Glazewski connects her research with classroom practice by developing sustained partnerships with K-12 schools, the U.S. military, and other organizations around the globe. A leader in fostering a culture of innovation, she has also advanced the responsible integration of artificial intelligence in K-12 education by bringing together educators, researchers, and policymakers to develop AI frameworks and strategies. She has long served as editor-in-chief of the Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning and written 53 peer-reviewed papers, 18 book chapters, and an award-winning book. Dr. Glazewski’s research has helped countless educators address systemic educational challenges and create more engaging and effective classroom environments.
Socorro Herrera, Kansas State University
Dr. Socorro Herrera is recognized internationally for her scholarship on how schools can best serve culturally and linguistically diverse students. She is a professor in the College of Education and executive director of the Center for Intercultural and Multilingual Advocacy at Kansas State University. She is widely known and cited in the field of bilingual/dual languages for her insights about literacy and reading strategies that support students from immigrant and marginalized groups. The model that Dr. Herrera has created to prepare teachers to teach diverse students more effectively has been widely applied, and she has created school-university partnerships in the United States, Saudi Arabia, Paraguay, Mexico, and other countries. She has authored six textbooks and dozens of articles for journals, including the Bilingual Research Journal and the Journal of Research in Education, and has garnered over $55 million in research grants. Dr. Herrera’s work has contributed immeasurably to the academic success of students from diverse cultures and backgrounds.
Shouping Hu, Florida State University
Dr. Shouping Hu has been a major force for improving college access, engagement, and success for students from underserved groups. He is the Louis W. and Elizabeth N. Bender Endowed Professor of Higher Education at Florida State University and the founding director of its Center for Postsecondary Success. He has conducted vital research into student readiness, persistence, and outcomes, and his typology of student engagement has given researchers and practitioners important insights into the specific steps required for students’ academic advancement. Dr. Hu has authored five books and over 100 book chapters and peer-reviewed articles. He founded and edits the Journal of Postsecondary Student Success and was also the lead editor of The Routledge Handbook on Postsecondary Student Success, a comprehensive manual for educators and policymakers on how to help students of all backgrounds succeed in college. Dr. Hu’s outstanding work has advanced policies and practices that will help ensure students realize the promise of higher education.
Odis Johnson, Jr., Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Odis Johnson is a highly influential scholar on neighborhoods, race, and social policy. He is a distinguished professor at Johns Hopkins University and holds appointments in its education school as well as sociology and health policy departments. His research focuses on how systemic inequities are sustained across multiple domains—housing, health, education, and many more—and how evidence-based policy reforms can disrupt them. Dr. Johnson is a passionate advocate for racial justice and cofounded and directs an institute funded by the National Science Foundation that trains scholars from underrepresented backgrounds how to use quantitative tools to advance liberatory efforts. His transdisciplinary work has appeared in leading journals of 11 different disciplines, and he is widely cited in national, international, and local media outlets, including the Associated Press, New York Times, and CNN. He regularly serves on federal advisory panels and consults with state and local agencies. Dr. Johnson’s scholarship has meaningfully influenced not only policy agendas but people’s lives for the better.
James Kim, Harvard University
Dr. James Kim has made seminal research contributions through his scholarship on young children’s reading development and his advances in instructional research design. He is the Juliana W. and William Foss Thompson Professor in Education and Society at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. For years, he has tested interventions to improve reading outcomes at elementary schools, designing and conducting large-scale, longitudinal, randomized control trials that follow students’ reading comprehension as they move across grades. Among other findings, Dr. Kim’s work has demonstrated how children can enhance their reading skills while engaging with complex content areas that particularly interest them. He has obtained almost $60 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, and other organizations and written numerous papers, chapters, and books, as well as 48 articles for leading journals like AERA’s Review of Educational Research. Dr. Kim’s scholarship has greatly advanced children’s reading comprehension and informed the work of other researchers and policymakers within and well beyond the literacy field.
Matthew Kraft, Brown University
Dr. Matthew Kraft is a national expert on teacher workforce development and improving the effectiveness of K-12 educators and schools. A professor of education and economics at Brown University, he has examined a wide variety of important topics, including teacher labor markets, working conditions, and evaluation as well as parent-school communication and high-dosage tutoring. He has published frequently in leading journals like Educational Researcher and recently co-authored a highly cited paper that examined the status of teaching from the 1970s to current day. Dr. Kraft’s many accolades include the Palmer O. Johnson Memorial Award and the Outstanding Public Communication of Education Research Award from AERA. His work goes beyond theory to practice, as exemplified by his service on both the Council of Economic Advisors and his local school board. His research on educational interventions has impactful applications for how states and districts implement policies. Dr. Kraft’s work has demonstrated his steadfast commitment to improving how schools construct effective teaching and learning environments.
Jessica Nina Lester, Indiana University Bloomington
Dr. Jessica Nina Lester is a game-changing scholar in the field of critical qualitative inquiry. A professor of qualitative methodology in the School of Education at Indiana University Bloomington, she has distinguished herself through innovative uses of digital technologies, from online interviews to AI-assisted data analysis, to support ethical and responsible research decision-making. She has also applied discourse and conversation analysis methods to explore how every day and institutional language can often position people as normal or abnormal in biased ways. One of Dr. Lester’s most significant contributions is the development of critical disability inquiry,a framework for studying the experiences and needs of people with disabilities in ways that are asset-based rather than solely deficit-focused. She has published over 100 journal articles, 50 book chapters, and seven books and has spoken at multiple institutions and venues around the globe, including delivering a keynote at the 2026 World Conference on Qualitative Inquiry. Dr. Lester’s methodological work has advanced and reshaped the field, leaving a lasting and positive imprint.
Xiufeng Liu, University of Macau
Dr. Xiufeng Liu is a top international scholar of the measurement and evaluation of science teaching and learning. He is Chair Professor of STEM Education and director of the Educational Testing and Assessment Research Center at the University of Macau. His innovative quantitative approach to determining whether and how students from K-12 through college understand complex scientific concepts has substantially advanced research on learning progression—fundamental to the Next Generation of Science Standards now implemented in many U.S. states. He has also introduced American science education theories to Chinese scholars and educators through numerous conferences, advisory projects, and the journal he founded and now co-edits, Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Science Education Research. He is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has twice served as an associate editor for the Journal of Research in Science Teaching. Dr. Liu has contributed markedly to improving science education and understanding students’ abilities to comprehend vital science concepts.
Julie Marsh, University of Southern California
Dr. Julie Marsh is an internationally recognized professor of educational policy at the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education. She studies how governance, funding, and accountability measures impact policies on school choice, teacher evaluation, curriculum, and other major issues that ultimately affect outcomes for marginalized youth and communities. Dr. Marsh has developed new approaches to qualitative analysis that have shaped the work of scholars and has applied those methods in real-world settings, partnering with numerous school districts that have drawn upon her findings to better meet student needs. Her work has attracted funding from numerous government agencies, including a $10-million grant from the Institute of Education Sciences to support the National Center on Education Access and Choice for which she is co-PI. She has served as co-editor of Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, authored or co-authored over 55 journal articles, and written eight peer-reviewed books. Dr. Marsh’s scholarship has informed national and state policies, improved educational systems, and markedly enhanced the experiences of students.
Cheryl Matias, University of San Diego
Dr. Cheryl Matias is an award-winning scholar of educational diversity, equity, and social justice. A professor in the School of Leadership and Education Sciences at the University of San Diego, she is a leading theorist in critical whiteness and its Black roots. Drawing on her own experiences teaching in large urban school districts, she pursued research on why white teachers grapple with racism when attempting to understand students of color. Dr. Matias also studied how teachers must invest in the emotional dimensions of learning to provide culturally responsive instruction. She has published five books and 22 chapters, as well as 65 articles in leading refereed journals, including Race Ethnicity and Education and Equity and Excellence in Education. Recognized by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education as one of the top 25 women making a difference, she is an influential thought leader in teacher education. Dr. Matias’s research has done much to help policymakers and practitioners understand how they can work effectively to eradicate white racism in education.
Jennifer Randall, University of Michigan
Dr. Jennifer Randall has made groundbreaking contributions to culturally responsive and justice-oriented assessment. She is Dunn Family Endowed Professor of Psychometrics and Test Development at the University of Michigan’s school of education. Through her research, she has introduced the concepts of “measurement justice” and “culturally responsive assessment,” demonstrating how traditional tests and assessments contribute to the systematic oppression of nonwhite, minoritized students. To create new forms of evaluation based on multicultural principles, Dr. Randall founded the Center for Measurement Justice as a resource for developing explicitly antiracist and culturally responsive assessments and to help increase the representation of Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous scholars in educational measurement. She also helped launch Women in Measurement to amplify the diverse voices of all women in the field. She has written over 35 articles in Educational Assessment, Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, and other leading journals. Dr. Randall has made exceptional equity-focused contributions to the field, greatly benefiting those who are assessed as well as those doing the assessing.
Cecilia Rios-Aguilar, University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Cecilia Rios-Aguilar is a preeminent expert on community colleges and their students. She is Chair of the Department of Education at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Faculty Co-director at the Policy Analysis for California Education research center. Focusing on underrepresented students at community colleges, she has delved into the complex factors that shape their educational trajectories. Dr. Rios-Aguilar has examined, for instance, the impact of financial-aid and language policies on Latinx students as well as pioneered research that sheds light on how such students draw upon cultural resources to navigate academically. Most recently, she is participating in a research project to improve first-generation students’ success in STEM fields. Her work has been funded by the Gates Foundation and the Hewlett Foundation, and she also currently serves on the board of the Spencer Foundation. She has published over 60 field-defining pieces in top research outlets. Dr. Rios-Aguilar’s work is helping community colleges reimagine themselves to better support the academic success of vulnerable students.
Ivory Toldson, Howard University
Dr. Ivory Toldson is a foremost scholar of the experiences of Black students in STEM higher education, particularly at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He is a professor of counseling psychology at the Howard University School of Education. Cited by Newsweek as among “30 leaders in the fight for Black men,” he has examined how to combat systemic policies and practices that have reinforced racially biased false narratives about their academic performance and increased their marginalization. Dr. Toldson served as executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, working to strengthen and garner significantly more federal funding for HBCUs and promote evidence-based policies to support student success. He has authored over 100 books and other publications, as well as served as Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Negro Education and Executive Editor of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Journal of the Center for Policy Analysis and Research. Dr. Toldson’s research has advanced theoretical frameworks and catalyzed tangible improvements in Black students’ educational outcomes.
Vasti Torres, Indiana University Bloomington
Dr. Vasti Torres has significantly enhanced the college experience of students from racially and culturally diverse populations through her research into student identity development and success. She is professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the Indiana University School of Education. Her groundbreaking longitudinal research has challenged monolithic conceptions of Latinx identity and provided empirically tested retention models for Latinx students that connect cognitive development, self-efficacy, and institutional belonging. Dr. Torres has put her theories into practice by serving in various administrative leadership roles, including as a college dean and as director of the Center for Postsecondary Research in the School of Education at Indiana University. She was the first Latina president of the American College Personnel Association, where she edited the Journal of College Student Development, and she has been honored by numerous organizations, including the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. Dr. Torres’ work has informed scholarly inquiry and practical programming throughout the country in ways that greatly facilitate student success.
Lisa Wolf-Wendel, University of Kansas
Dr. Lisa Wolf-Wendel is internationally known for her research on faculty issues and student success. She is the Roy A. Roberts Distinguished Professor of Higher Education in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Kansas. Using data from her 20-year longitudinal study of tenure-track faculty, she explores the labor market and career issues that faculty confront from entry-level through retirement, including work-life balance, dual-career, and promotion challenges. Dr. Wolf-Wendel has also investigated the experiences that encourage student success—demonstrating, for instance, how terms like “engagement,” “involvement,” and “academic integration” are related yet distinct. She has published nine books, over 50 book chapters, and dozens of articles in peer-reviewed publications like Teachers College Record and the Journal of College Student Development. She is past president of the Association of the Study of Higher Education and co-edited its reports outlining promising directions for future education research. Dr. Wolf-Wendel’s work has encouraged the development of institutional policies and practices that create far more supportive educational environments.