Faculty and Research

Shannon Wanless has been elected as the chair of the Social Emotional Learning Special Interest Group for the American Educational Research Association (AERA). 

Lori Delale-O’Connor, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh Center for Urban Education and the Education Foundations, Organizations and Policy Department in the School of Education, has been honored with the 2021 Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award. This university-wide award recognizes teaching excellence of the highest order. 

Dean Valerie Kinloch has been selected to join the 2021-22 class of the highly prestigious American Council on Education (ACE) Fellows Program.

Pitt School of Education faculty member Tom Akiva has received the 2021 University of Pittsburgh Provost’s Award for Diversity in the Curriculum in honor of his work to transform the Pitt School of Education Doctor of Education (EdD) program to center its coursework and experiences around anti-racism and equity.

Amanda Godley, a professor in the Pitt School of Education and the University of Pittsburgh Vice Provost for Graduate Studies, has received the 2020 ELATE Richard A. Meade Award from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)  for outstanding research in English and language arts teacher development.   

The 2020-21 cohort of the Shifting Power Initiative includes 20 Black and Latinx PreK-12 classroom teachers, paraprofessionals, out-of-school providers and teaching artists, as well as 20 university-based, non-profit, and independent researchers and learning scientists.

James G. Greeno, one of the creators of the learning sciences, made an indelible impact at the University of Pittsburgh. He supported doctoral students and faculty at the Pitt School of Education and worked at the Learning Research and Development Center.

The five new faculty will teach and conduct research in the areas of decoloniality and indigeneity, research-practice partnerships, post-secondary education access, racism in schooling, and equity-oriented teacher certification programs.

Jill Perry, an associate professor of practice at the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, has published a new book about improvement science that will serve as a guide for higher education faculty, students, and practitioners for implementing the methodology in their educational programs.

Millions of Americans are working from home in the ongoing public health effort to halt the spread of coronavirus. But many don’t have the benefit of home offices. They are creating makeshift workspaces from their dining room tables, kitchen counters, living room couches, or folding tables and chairs.

In small towns across America, public schools are a community lifeline. When they struggle, their community struggles. And many rural schools are feeling the pain. Enrollment is declining, costs are rising, public health is worsening, and there is a shortage of qualified personnel. 

“Rural education is important. A lot of people don’t understand how important it is and take it...