Two faculty members from the UW–Madison School of Education received awards from the Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP) at its 2026 Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP) Annual Conference.
AEFP is a professional organization for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners working in education finance and policy from early childhood to postsecondary and beyond.
Taylor Odle, assistant professor in the Department of Educational Policy Studies, received the Early Career Award, which recognizes junior scholars whose research makes significant contributions to education finance and policy.
Odle’s research focuses on college access and success, including admissions, financial aid, and advising, with an emphasis on improving student outcomes and reducing inequality. He recently published articles on when and why college advising programs for high school students are successful at scale and ways for states to increase older-adult enrollment in college.
Mollie McQuillan, associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, received the Advancing Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Award, which honors individuals whose work advances justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging in education.
McQuillan’s research examines the intersections of gender, sexuality, educational policy, and school climate, with a focus on how policies impact student wellbeing and equity in schools. McQuillan recently published an editorial urging inclusion of gender identity data in federal health surveys.
The awards were presented at AEFP’s 51st Annual Conference on March 19.
More about the 2026 AEFP award recipients is available on the AEFP website.