AERA Names 2026 Award Winners Across 14 Categories in Education Research
The American Educational Research Association (AERA), the largest national interdisciplinary research association devoted to the scientific study of education, has announced its 2026 award winners. The 14 awards span research achievement, public service, mentoring, media reporting, social justice, and gender equity in education.
Two awards for Vivian Gadsden
Vivian Gadsden of the University of Pennsylvania is the most decorated recipient this year, receiving both the Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award -- AERA's premier recognition of outstanding research achievement -- and the Dr. Felice J. Levine Distinguished Contributions to Mentoring in Research and Leadership Award, which honors excellence in mentoring students and early career scholars over at least two decades.
The full list of 2026 recipients
- Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award: Vivian Gadsden (University of Pennsylvania)
- Distinguished Public Service Award: James L. Moore, III (National Science Foundation/Ohio State University)
- Outstanding Book Award: Gabrielle Oliveira (Harvard University), for Now We Are Here: Family Migration, Children's Education, and Dreams for a Better Life
- E. F. Lindquist Award (with ACT, for testing and measurement research): Michael Kolen (University of Iowa)
- Mentoring Award: Vivian Gadsden (University of Pennsylvania)
- Excellence in Media Reporting: Sarah Carr (Hechinger Report/Spencer Education Journalism Fellowship)
- Early Career Award: Cati de los Rios (University of California, Berkeley)
- Social Justice in Education Award: Angela Valenzuela (University of Texas at Austin)
- Gender Equity in Education Research Award: Lara Perez-Felkner (Florida State University)
- Exemplary Contributions to Practice-Engaged Research Award: Nicole Patton Terry (Florida State University)
- Outstanding Public Communication Award: Nolan Cabrera (University of Arizona)
- Scholars of Color Early Career Award: Terrell R. Morton (University of Illinois Chicago)
- Scholars of Color Mid-Career Award: Chezare A. Warren (Vanderbilt University)
- Scholars of Color Distinguished Career Award: William Perez (Loyola Marymount University)
Two additional research paper awards were also announced. The Palmer O. Johnson Memorial Award went to Sean Darling-Hammond (UC Berkeley) and Eric Ho (UCLA) for their study on the persistence of racial discipline disparities in schools, published in AERA Open. The Review of Research Award went to Rebecca A. Cruz (Johns Hopkins), Catherine M. Kramarczuk Voulgarides (CUNY), and colleagues for their work on disproportionality in disability classification, published in the Review of Educational Research.
Ceremony details
Recipients will be honored at the Awards Ceremony Luncheon during the 2026 AERA Annual Meeting in Los Angeles on April 9 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
It is worth noting that this is an awards announcement, not a research study. The selections reflect AERA's assessment of distinguished contributions to the field. No new empirical findings are being reported.