The annual American Educational Research Association (AERA) conference recognizes research and scholars for their exemplary work—and Michigan State University researchers are again among the honorees.
Career nominations
Patricia Edwards was recognized for her notable career. She is the recipient of the 2019 Scholars of Color Distinguished Career Contribution Award, given by the Committee on Scholars of Color in Education. The honor celebrates minority scholars who have made significant contributions to education research and development, and in particular issues that disproportionately affect minority populations.
Chezare Warren is part of the 2019-21 AERA-SRCD Early Career Fellowship in Middle Childhood Education and Development cohort. The group, through AERA and the Society for Research in Child Development, includes 22 fellows with integrated interests and expertise who will aim to expand their research competencies and enhance their research programs.
Mentoring matters
Alyssa Dunn received the 2019 Revolutionary Mentor Award. Dunn’s work in social justice-oriented mentorship is “unparalleled,” according to the Critical Educators for Social justice special interest group, which bestowed the award. It recognizes a scholar who has made distinguished contributions to the field as a mentor as a means to help develop critical social justice scholars, educators and activists.
Dorinda Carter Andrews is the co-recipient of the 2018-19 AERA Division G Mentoring Award, shared with co-awardee Rachel Endo. The recognition celebrates scholars who have made distinguished efforts in mentoring undergraduate or graduate students and junior scholars—all contributing to the development of a new generation of researchers who will focus on social contexts of education.
Notable research
Jennifer VanDerHeide was recognized with the Steve Cahir Early Career Award for Research on Writing. Given through the Writing and Literacies special interest group, the award honors achievements of scholars who are relatively early in their career.
Jada Phelps-Moultrie received an honorary mention for the Family-School-Community Partnerships SIG Dissertation of the Year Award. Her dissertation, “Reframing parental involvement of Black parents: Black parental protectionism,” questioned how Black parents were involved in their children’s education and examined the relationships between race, racism and parental involvement using critical race theory and critical qualitative research methods.
April Baker Bell is an assistant professor in the College of Arts & Letters who teaches several courses on language, literacy and English education at MSU. She was part of a group of scholars in the Presidential Sessions, content shared prior to the conference to engage attendees. She was a co-presenter on Skeptical and Affective Literacies: Redefining Critical Media Pedagogies in a ‘Post-Truth’ Era.
Radiant reviews
Chris Torres and David Stroupe were both named Outstanding Reviewers for 2018.
Torres was recognized for his work with the Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis journal. MSU is well-represented on the expansive editorial board, with five current faculty members serving.
David Stroupe was recognized for his work with the Review of Educational Research. He is one of two MSU faculty serving on the current editorial board.
Alumni recognition
Okhee Lee, Ph.D. ’89 (Educational Psychology), was selected as the inaugural winner of the KAERA Distinguished Researcher Award. The Korean-American Educational Researchers Association (KAERA) uses the honor to recognize an individual whose work and career have made a widespread, positive impact in the field of education. Lee was noted for her contributions to science education for English language learners.
Lee also received the Innovations in Research on Equity and Social Justice in Teacher Education Award from Division K. She was recognized for her work on equity and social justice and contributions to policy and practice.
Read more about her in: “Learning to leave a legacy” (New Educator, 2016).