University Distinguished Professor Patricia A. Edwards has been named a National Academy of Education member. The title recognizes educators and education scholars who have made outstanding contributions to the field. Edwards is one of five current Michigan State University faculty to hold the title, and one of 19 to be selected for the title in 2026.

“This is truly an extraordinary honor — one that feels both affirming and humbling,” said Edwards, who has been part of the Department of Teacher Education faculty since 1989. “I am still taking in the magnitude of what this recognition represents. Being elected to the National Academy of Education is one of the most profound honors of my professional life.”

Edwards is a world-renowned scholar of reading and literacy. An author or co-author of 10 books and dozens of book chapters and peer-reviewed journal articles, she is a member of the Reading Hall of Fame, a National Conference on Research in Language and Literacy Distinguished Scholar and a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association. She was the first African American president of the Literacy Research Association and was president of the International Literacy Association (formerly: International Reading Association).

“The distinction from the National Academy of Education further reinforces what MSU Spartans already know: Patricia Edwards is a dedicated, influential and compassionate advocate for the advancement of reading and literacy,” Dean Jerlando F. L. Jackson said.