Initially nominated by MSU Professor Susan Printy, Bowers is specifically being recognized for his outstanding contributions in three areas: research, teaching and service. He is currently an assistant professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio’s College of Education and Human Development.

“Dr. Bowers is an exemplary early-career scholar and a rising star,” Printy said. “He is a teacher whose investment in his students’ success is above the norm and he is a good citizen and a generous servant to his department, his college and his profession.”

While at MSU, Bowers served as a graduate teaching assistant (’06-’07) and a research assistant (’03-’04 and ’04-’06) for the Department of Educational Administration. He also earned four awards from the university, including three travel scholarships and a graduate recruiting scholarship.

Prior to his doctoral program, Bowers was a cancer researcher. Printy, who was Bowers’ academic adviser and dissertation director, said that his past studies have given him an exceptional ability to think differently, ask unique questions and solve problems in creative ways.

“As a student, Alex was a lot of fun to work with,” Printy said. “His dissertation was not the kind we generally see in the college, as he used cluster analysis and visual imaging techniques to explore patterns in student grades over the entire K-12 school career for all students in two Michigan school districts.”

Bowers is also the recipient of the 2009/2010 AERA Research Grants Award for his research on high school grades and standardized test scores. He has published 16 articles in a range of journals, including Educational Administration Quarterly (EAQ), the American Educational Research Journal (AERJ), the Journal of School Leadership and the Journal of Educational Administration and Educational Policy.

Attending the AERA annual meeting? Keep in touch with your Spartan community there, by tweeting using #MSUatAERA.