February 2025

For those attending the AERA Annual Meeting in Denver, the AERA Award Ceremony Luncheon is featured as a “don’t miss” event. Intended to celebrate awardees and elevate the shared commitment of the field to excellence across important domains (e.g., Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award, Outstanding Public Communication of Education Research Award, Exemplary Contributions to Practice-Engaged Research Award), the luncheon is an open invitation for all attendees to gather in community.

In a period of significant challenges for education research and the value of science and scholarship, the return of the AERA Awards Ceremony Luncheon is coming at a time when support, celebration, and unity have even more added meaning.

The luncheon will take place on Thursday, April 24, from 11:40 a.m. to 1:25 p.m. AERA encourages Annual Meeting participants to add the luncheon to their registration and join in honoring outstanding contributions to the field. Tables will be interspersed for attendees who wish only to attend the Awards Luncheon and enjoy iced tea.

The cost of lunch tickets is $35 for students and $65 for nonstudents. Participants can select the luncheon when registering for the Annual Meeting or update their existing registration to include it. Tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

As announced in the July 2024 issue of Highlights, the AERA Council approved restoring the luncheon during its June 2024 meeting.

“We encourage Annual Meeting participants to come together for this welcoming and inclusive event to support one another and celebrate this year’s awardees,” said AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine. “At this challenging time, we wish to not only recognize outstanding achievements in the field but create a collective gathering that fosters support and camaraderie among attendees."