UW–Madison alumna Laura C. Chávez-Moreno, who earned her PhD from the School of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction in 2018, has received the 2026 Anna Julia Cooper Award from the American Sociological Association’s Section on the Sociology of Education.

Established in 2022, the award recognizes exceptional research and service advancing racial equity in education. It is presented annually, alternating between an early career award and a lifetime achievement award.

Chávez-Moreno accepted the honor at a reception during the ASA Annual Meeting in New York City in August. During the event, Sociology of Education Section Chair Emily Rauscher highlighted Chávez-Moreno’s strong record of scholarship focused on racial equity, her impressive publication record, and her commitment to translating research into practice.

Chávez-Moreno is an associate professor in the Departments of Chicanx & Central American Studies and Education at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research examines Chicanx/Latinx education at the intersections of education, pedagogy, language, literacy, and ethnic studies.

Her book, “How Schools Make Race: Teaching Latinx Racialization in America,” has earned multiple awards and been featured widely in podcasts and the media.

Learn more about the ASA Section on the Sociology of Education Anna Julia Cooper Award.