UW–Madison’s Francesca López is one of four education researchers voted as division vice presidents-elect of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). López will represent Division C (Learning and Instruction) and will join AERA’s 2027-28 Council following the organization’s 2027 Annual Meeting, serving a three-year term.
López is the Jim and Georgia Thompson Distinguished Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis in the School of Education. Her research focuses on educational practices and policies that support equity and belonging for historically marginalized students, including multilingual learners and students from racially and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Before entering academia, López worked as a bilingual (Spanish/English) elementary teacher and later as a high school counselor in El Paso, Texas. Her work has been recognized with numerous honors, including being named a Fellow of AERA, the American Psychological Association, and the National Education Policy Center. She also received the AERA Midcareer Scholars of Color Award in 2024 and the APA Division 15 Best Article Award in 2023.
López has held several leadership roles in the field, including serving as co-editor of the American Educational Research Journal, the Review of Educational Research, and Educational Psychology Policy and Practice.
Read more about the members elected for AERA leadership positions.