AERA selects 34 exemplary scholars as 2026 Fellows
WASHINGTON, February 19, 2026—The American Educational Research Association (AERA) has announced the selection of 34 exemplary scholars as the 2026 class of AERA Fellows. The AERA Fellows Program honors scholars for their exceptional contributions to, and excellence in, education research. Nominated by their peers, the 2026 Fellows were selected by the Fellows Committee and approved by the AERA Council, the association’s elected governing body. They will be inducted during a ceremony at the 2026 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles on April 9. With this cohort, the total number of AERA Fellows will reach 820.
“We are thrilled to honor the 2026 AERA Fellows as they join a distinguished community of scholars,” said AERA Executive Director Tabbye Chavous. “Their significant contributions to education research demonstrate the highest standards of academic excellence and scholarship.”
The 2026 class of AERA Fellows are:
Audrey Amrein-Beardsley, Arizona State University Anthony Artino, George Washington University Robert Balfanz, Johns Hopkins University Keith Barton, Indiana University Bloomington Margaret Beier, Rice University Robert Q. Berry III, Indiana University Bloomington H. Gerald Campano, University of Pennsylvania Joseph R. Cimpian, New York University Timothy Cleary, Rutgers University Laurie Cutting, Vanderbilt University Jimmy de la Torre, The University of Hong Kong Eric Dearing, Boston College Thurston Domina, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Ravit Golan Duncan, Rutgers University David Feldon, Utah State University John Ferron, University of South Florida Megan Franke, University of California, Los Angeles Brian French, Washington State University Hunter Gehlbach, Johns Hopkins University Krista Glazewski, North Carolina State University Socorro Herrera, Kansas State University Shouping Hu, Florida State University Odis Johnson, Johns Hopkins University James Kim, Harvard University Matthew Kraft, Brown University Jessica Nina Lester, Indiana University Bloomington Xiufeng Liu, University of Macau Julie Marsh, University of Southern California Cheryl Matias, University of San Diego Jennifer Randall, University of Michigan Cecilia Rios-Aguilar, University of California, Los Angeles Ivory Toldson, Howard University Vasti Torres, Indiana University Lisa Wolf-Wendel, University of Kansas
“We are thrilled to honor the 2026 AERA Fellows as they join a distinguished community of scholars,” said AERA Executive Director Tabbye Chavous. “Their significant contributions to education research demonstrate the highest standards of academic excellence and scholarship.”
The 2026 class of AERA Fellows are:
Audrey Amrein-Beardsley, Arizona State University Anthony Artino, George Washington University Robert Balfanz, Johns Hopkins University Keith Barton, Indiana University Bloomington Margaret Beier, Rice University Robert Q. Berry III, Indiana University Bloomington H. Gerald Campano, University of Pennsylvania Joseph R. Cimpian, New York University Timothy Cleary, Rutgers University Laurie Cutting, Vanderbilt University Jimmy de la Torre, The University of Hong Kong Eric Dearing, Boston College Thurston Domina, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Ravit Golan Duncan, Rutgers University David Feldon, Utah State University John Ferron, University of South Florida Megan Franke, University of California, Los Angeles Brian French, Washington State University Hunter Gehlbach, Johns Hopkins University Krista Glazewski, North Carolina State University Socorro Herrera, Kansas State University Shouping Hu, Florida State University Odis Johnson, Johns Hopkins University James Kim, Harvard University Matthew Kraft, Brown University Jessica Nina Lester, Indiana University Bloomington Xiufeng Liu, University of Macau Julie Marsh, University of Southern California Cheryl Matias, University of San Diego Jennifer Randall, University of Michigan Cecilia Rios-Aguilar, University of California, Los Angeles Ivory Toldson, Howard University Vasti Torres, Indiana University Lisa Wolf-Wendel, University of Kansas
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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, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky.
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