A paper led by a Summer Education Research Program (SERP) student and co-authored by a UW–Madison faculty member and three graduate students has received a Best Student Paper Award from the Learning Sciences Special Interest Group (SIG) at the American Educational Research Association’s (AERA) 2026 Annual Conference.
The paper’s lead author is Reina Yorba-Rico, a student at California State University, Monterey Bay. Titled “Planting Seeds for Pedagogical Change: Equity Conjectures for Organizational Learning in Academic Departments,” the paper emerged from Yorba-Rico’s participation in SERP in summer 2025. During the program, Yorba-Rico was mentored by Aireale J. Rodgers, an assistant professor in the School of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis.
“Reina proved herself to be a gifted researcher, thoughtful collaborator, and sophisticated thinker,” said Rodgers. “I was continuously impressed by the ways she contributed to our team, and I’m so grateful to have served as her SERP femtor.”
Rodgers was a co-author of the paper, alongside Aida Arosoaie, a PhD candidate in anthropology, and Karina Flores-Camacho and Blessing Tarfa, both PhD students in educational leadership and policy analysis — all at UW–Madison.
Drawing on existing scholarship across higher education, the paper introduces a new framework for equity-minded pedagogical change within academic departments. The framework supports organizational learning as a collective and sustained approach to addressing longstanding contradictions that perpetuate inequity and exclusion across disciplines, ultimately calling for transformation in fundamental dimensions of teaching and learning.
The paper was accepted for a roundtable presentation hosted by AERA’s Learning Sciences SIG, where it was then selected for the Best Student Paper Award.
The Summer Education Research Program (SERP), sponsored by the School of Education and UW–Madison’s Graduate School, focuses on increasing access and exposure to research experiences with faculty mentors for undergraduate students interested in pursuing graduate studies in academic fields within the School of Education.
“SERP is an invaluable asset to the School of Education,” said Rodgers. “Drs. Maame Adomako and Percival Matthews have curated a program that provides undergraduates with rigorous education and research training while also giving UW–Madison faculty the opportunity to be energized and inspired by these brilliant scholars. SERP scholars remind me that the future of education research is incredibly bright!”