Three scholars from UW–Madison have earned national recognition in the annual Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings, which highlight the top 200 university-based scholars in the United States who had the greatest impact on educational practice and policy last year.
Released on Jan. 7, the rankings are compiled by Rick Hess, an Education Week blogger, senior fellow, and director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute. Hess’ rankings use a scoring formula to calculate how extensively university-based academics contributed to public discussions about education through research, media engagement, and policy influence.
Gloria Ladson-Billings, a professor emerita with the School of Education and the former Kellner Family Distinguished Chair in Urban Education with the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, is ranked No. 15 on this year’s list. Her scholarship focuses on the cultural foundations of teaching and learning that leads to educational improvement for students who are most marginalized in schools. She is also widely recognized for her work examining applications of critical race theory in education.
Ranking No. 134 is Taylor Odle, an assistant professor in the School of Education’s Department of Educational Policy Studies. Odle’s research explores how data can be leveraged to improve college access and success, particularly for low-income and first-generation students. He serves as principal investigator and research partner for the Tennessee Direct Admissions Pilot, launched last fall, which is offering automatic college admission and personalized financial aid estimates to approximately 41,000 high school seniors in the state this year.
Suzanne Eckes ranks No. 156 on the list. Eckes is the Susan S. Engeleiter Professor of Education Law, Policy, and Practice in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis. Her research examines how civil rights laws shape education policies in K–12 schools. She is the co-author and co-editor of numerous articles and books and was recently selected as the recipient of the 2025 M.A. McGhehey Award from the Education Law Association, recognizing exceptional service to the field of education law.