News

Four scholars from the Michigan State University College of Education are among those being recognized nationally for their influence in the field of education.

The 12th annual Rick Hess Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings honor 200 scholars from across the U.S. who have shaped education research, policy and practice.

The Spartans named in the 2022 rankings, published in Education Week, are:

• Barbara Schneider, John A. Hannah Chair and University Distinguished Professor in the College of Education and Department of Sociology, at #74 (up from 79 in 2021)
• William Schmidt, University Distinguished Professor and founder and director of the Center for the Study of Curriculum Policy, at #89 (up from 120 in 2021)
• Katharine Strunk, Clifford E. Erickson Distinguished Chair in Education, professor of education policy and faculty director of the Education Policy Innovation Collaborative, or EPIC, at #134 (up from 145 in 2021)
• Scott Imberman, professor with appointments in the Department of Economics and the Education Policy doctoral program, at #180

The scholars were chosen by a 33-member committee made of educational scholars and leaders from institutions across the country. Google Scholar scores and mentions in newspapers and educational presses were amongst the factors included in scoring U.S. higher education faculty who research education.

“One of the key reasons I came to MSU is the College of Education’s commitment to public scholarship and its mission to use research to improve the lives of students and educators,” said Strunk, who was part of the selection committee. “That the College of Education has four of the nation’s top scholar-influencers is evidence of this lived mission. I am honored to be among such good company, both here at MSU and nationally; this is a group of scholars who inform policy, discourse and practice through their consistent efforts at outreach and broad impact.”