Lee Shulman a professor emeritus of educational psychology and medical education, died on December 30, 2024. He was 86 years old. Shulman was with the college from 1963 until 1982.
His trailblazing career began at MSU. One of his many achievements while at MSU was co-founding the Institute for Research on Teaching (IRT) in 1976 with Judith Lanier and others. The IRT produced influential research such as studies on connections between policy and teaching practice and assessment of teachers’ knowledge. The research that came from Shulman and his colleagues in the IRT has had a lasting impact on the College of Education, helping to create its distinction in teaching and teacher learning.
After leaving MSU in 1982, Shulman became the Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education at Stanford University (1982-1997). In this position, Shulman helped to establish the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. He also served as the president of the American Educational Research Foundation (AERA) from 1984 to 1985 and president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching from 1997 to 2008.
Shulman was an esteemed educator, leader and a groundbreaking scholar. Shulman’s remarkable career is evidenced by numerous prestigious awards including the Michigan State University William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award (1977), Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award (1989), Crystal Apple Award (2002) and the University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award (2006).
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Shulman was also a valued mentor and friend. University Distinguished Professor William Schmidt shared: “Lee was an extremely helpful and caring individual. While he was also an extremely well-known figure nationally,?he took the time to help me adjust to becoming a faculty member and learning the ropes here at MSU.”
Schmidt fondly recalled his friendship with Shulman, “I will always remember his kindness and his intellectual leadership. More importantly, he became a good friend, and we remained close even after he left MSU.”