January 2025

On January 14, President Joe Biden announced the recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), which honors early career scholars who are engaged in federally-funded research. Overall, the award recognizes innovative and far-reaching developments in science and technology and the scientific missions of participating agencies, enhances connections between research and impacts on society, and highlights the importance of science and technology for our nation’s future.

PECASE recipients from the Department of Education include four AERA members:

Shaun Dougherty (Boston University), whose research, supported by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), has focused on career and technical education

Kristin Gagnier (AnLar), whose IES-funded research has supported the development of a professional development program to build student spatial abilities in science education

Allison Master (University of Houston), whose IES-supported research examined gender stereotypes in STEM

Elizabeth Tighe (Georgia State University), whose IES-funded research has examined adult literacy skills

PECASE recipients from the National Science Foundation include three AERA members:

Remy Dou (Florida International University), who received a CAREER award for Early STEM Identity Formation Through Everyday Science Talk

David Purpura (Purdue University), who received a CAREER award that examined the role of early math language skills in the acquisition of early mathematics skills

Vanessa Svihla (University of New Mexico), whose NSF-funded research has examined transformational organization changes to support more inclusive STEM environments

“We congratulate all of the award winners,” said AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine. “We are thrilled to see the breadth of the research areas that are represented not only among the AERA members who received this prestigious honor, but across all of the award recipients.”

The full list of PECASE recipients is available here.