Penn Graduate School of Education professor Vivian Gadsden has been elected the next vice president of the National Academy of Education.
Gadsden was elected to the Academy — an honorific research society of both United States members and international associates – in late October and will begin her term this month. She will succeed former Dean and Professor Emerita of Education at GSE Pam Grossman.
The National Academy of Education is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that advances high-quality research with the aim of enhancing education policy and practice, according to its website.
Gadsden is one of eleven Penn professors and professor emeriti who act as members of the academy, including former Penn President and Professor of Communication at the Annenberg School for Communication Amy Gutmann.
Members are elected to the National Academy of Education on the basis of their contribution to academic scholarship. Gadsden was elected alongside President of the William T. Grant Foundation Adam Gamoran who will become Secretary-Treasurer.
Dean of the GSE Katharine Strunk wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian that Gadsden’s election to the vice presidency of the Academy is a “powerful affirmation of her lifelong commitment to equity, scholarship, and service.”
“[Gadsden’s] work has not only deepened our understanding of intergenerational learning and family engagement but has also shaped national conversations on how we support children and communities,” Strunk wrote. “At Penn GSE, we are honored to witness her leadership in action and proud to see her voice elevated on this national stage.”
Gadsden currently acts as the Co-Faculty Director of the Penn Early Childhood and Family Research Center.
She has previously served as the president of the American Educational Research Association and Vice Chair of the Board of the Foundation for Child Development. She also holds a number of positions on national foundation boards and government review committees.
In 2023, Gadsden was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, an honorary society and independent research center dedicated to honoring excellence and convening leaders from the arts and sciences.
In a statement on the GSE’s website, Strunk said that Gadsden’s appointment not only recognizes her “intellectual leadership, but the generosity of spirit that animates her scholarship and mentorship.”
“We are incredibly proud to call her our colleague at Penn GSE,” she added.
