AERA Announces 2021 Award Winners in Education Research


For Immediate Release
August 31, 2021

Contacts:
Tony Pals, tpals@aera.net
(202) 238-3235

AERA Announces 2021 Award Winners in Education Research
Recipients Include Congressman Bobby Scott, Nikole Hannah-Jones, and Exemplary Scholars across Education Research Fields and Career Stages
 

Washington, August 31, 2021—The American Educational Research Association (AERA) has announced the winners of its 2021 awards for excellence in education research.

“We are excited to recognize this extraordinary group of award winners,” said AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine. “These highly accomplished and passionate individuals are producing cutting-edge scholarship, working tirelessly to support the research enterprise, and translating findings meaningfully into the lives of students, educators, and others. We are proud to honor their outstanding scholarship and service to the education research field.”

AERA will honor the recipients at a virtual awards celebration on Tuesday, December 7, from 6:00-7:30 p.m. EST.


Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award

Recipient: Carol D. Lee (Northwestern University)

The Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award is the premier acknowledgment of outstanding achievement and success in education research. It is designed to publicize, motivate, encourage, and suggest models for education research at its best.

Distinguished Public Service Award

Recipient: Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (U.S. Representative, Virginia)

This award is granted annually in recognition of an individual who has worked to enact or implement policies that are well grounded in education research, or who has been at the forefront of efforts to increase recognition and support for education research.

Excellence in Media Reporting on Education Research Award

Recipient: Nikole Hannah-Jones (Howard University)

Established in 2016, this award recognizes a person who has 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.

Palmer O. Johnson Memorial Award

Recipients: Julie A. Edmunds (University of North Carolina, Greensboro), Fatih Unlu (RAND Corporation), Jane L. Furey (University of Michigan), Elizabeth J. Glennie (RTI International), Nina Arshavsky (University of North Carolina, Greensboro)
What Happens When You Combine High School and College? The Impact of the Early College Model on Postsecondary Performance and Completion” 
Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Volume 42, Issue 2, June 2020

This award recognizes the lifelong achievement of Palmer O. Johnson as a dedicated educator and for his pioneering work in educational research and methodology. The award is given for an outstanding article appearing in AERA Open, the American Educational Research Journal, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Educational Researcher, or the Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics.

Review of Research Award

Recipient: Adam Alvarez (Rowan University)

Seeing Race in the Research on Youth Trauma and Education: A Critical Review.” Review of Educational Research, Volume 90, Issue 5, October 2020

This award is given in recognition of an outstanding review of research article appearing in the Review of Research in Education or the Review of Educational Research.

Outstanding Book Award

Recipient: Kabria Baumgartner (Northeastern University)
In Pursuit of Knowledge: Black Women and Educational Activism in Antebellum America

The Outstanding Book Award was established to acknowledge and honor the year’s best book-length publication in education research and development.

E.F. Lindquist Award

Recipient: Henry Braun (Boston College)

This award is presented jointly by AERA and ACT in recognition of outstanding applied or theoretical research in the field of testing and measurement. The award is meant to acknowledge a body of research of an empirical, theoretical, or integrative nature rather than a single study.

Early Career Award

Recipient: Huriya Jabbar (University of Texas at Austin)

Established to honor an individual in the early stages of their career no later than 10 years after receipt of the doctoral degree, this award is granted for study in any field of educational inquiry.

Social Justice in Education Award

Recipient: Sharon Fries-Britt (University of Maryland, College Park)

Established in 2004, the Social Justice in Education Award honors an individual who has advanced social justice through education research and exemplified the goal of linking education research to social justice.

Distinguished Contributions to Gender Equity in Education Research Award

Recipient: Elizabeth Meyer (University of Colorado, Boulder)

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.

Exemplary Contributions to Practice-Engaged Research Award

Recipient: Okhee Lee (New York University)

This award is presented to an education research scholar or scholars in recognition of collaborative project(s) between researchers and practitioners that have had sustained and observable effects on contexts of practice.

Outstanding Public Communication of Education Research Award

Recipient: Daniel Willingham (University of Virginia)

This award honors scholars exemplary in their capacity to communicate the importance of education research to the broad public, including education communities. It recognizes scholars who have excelled in conveying important findings and research to wide audiences and who have demonstrated the capacity to deepen understanding and appreciation of the value of education research in the public sphere.

Scholars of Color Distinguished Career Contribution Award

Recipient: Zeus Leonardo (University of California, Berkeley)

Presented to a senior-level scholar, usually 20 years or more after receipt of the doctoral degree, this award is intended to recognize (a) scholars who have made significant contributions to the understanding of issues that disproportionately affect minority populations, and (b) minority scholars who have made a significant contribution to education research and development.  

Scholars of Color Mid-Career Contribution Award

Recipient: Megan Bang (The Spencer Foundation, Northwestern University)

Presented to a scholar in mid-career who is beyond the first level of professional appointment and for whom 10 or more years have passed since receipt of the doctoral degree, this award is intended to recognize (a) scholars who have made significant contributions to the understanding of issues that disproportionately affect minority populations, and (b) minority scholars who have made a significant contribution to education research and development.

Scholars of Color Early Career Contribution Award

Recipient: Bianca Baldridge (Harvard University)

Presented to a scholar who is within the first decade of their career after receipt of a doctoral degree, this award is intended to recognize (a) scholars who have made significant contributions to the understanding of issues that disproportionately affect minority populations, and (b) minority scholars who have made a significant contribution to education research and development.


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About AERA
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is the largest national interdisciplinary research association devoted to the scientific study of education and learning. Founded in 1916, AERA advances knowledge about education, encourages scholarly inquiry related to education, and promotes the use of research to improve education and serve the public good. Find AERA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.