Three faculty members at UCSB have been named fellows of the American Educational Research Association. They are among 67 scholars from around the world to be recognized, and they will be inducted May 1 at the organization’s annual meeting in Denver.

The UCSB faculty members are Richard Duran and Judith Green, professors of education, and Lorraine McDonnell, professor of political science. The three were cited for their exceptional scientific or scholarly contributions to education research, and significant contributions to the field through the development of research opportunities and settings.

AERA fellows are known nationally and internationally for their outstanding contributions to education research. Through the Fellows Program, the association aims to convey its commitment to excellence in research and to underscore to new scholars the importance of sustained research contributions in the field.

“Professors Green and Duran are so deserving of this prestigious honor,” said Jane Close Conoley, dean of UCSB’s Gevirtz Graduate School of Education. “Dr. Green is an international expert in research methodology. Her work in complementary methods of inquiry is considered groundbreaking, as is her recent work in the intersections of culture, learning and technology. Dr. Duran is sought after by national and international panels for his expertise in authentic assessment practices that are responsive to the multicultural and pluralistic society. UC Santa Barbara is most fortunate to be home to two such outstanding scholars.”

Melvin Oliver, the SAGE Sara Miller McCune Dean of Social Sciences at UCSB, said of McDonnell: “This honor is another indication of professor McDonnell’s national importance as an expert in the design of K-12 educational policies and the politics of student testing. Her research could not be more timely or important as the White House and Congress grapple with national education policies.”

Founded in 1916, the AERA is the national interdisciplinary research association for about 25,000 scholars who undertake research in education. The organization aims to advance knowledge about education, to encourage scholarly inquiry related to education, and to promote the use of research to improve education and serve the public good.