The American Educational Research Association (AERA) has announced the selection of exemplary scholars as the 2026 class of AERA Fellows.
Eric Dearing, professor at CREATE – Center for Research on Equality in Education, is one of them.
Dearing did also receive an honorary doctoral degree from the University of Oslo in 2024.
Professor Dearing is a leading researcher on equity in education. He has been particularly focused on the development and life chances of children growing up in poverty and minority children. He has made significant contributions to understanding the role of education, the family, and the wider context for a wide variety of educational and developmental outcomes.
Since 2009, Dearing has been heavily involved in research on effects of early education in Norway. In particular, this work has demonstrated causal effects of the universal early education program in Norway on early language development and on school achievement for children from low income families and families with low parental education.
Dearing has served a mentoring role for many of the Norwegian researchers he has collaborated with.
Well-deserved recognition
Astrid Marie Jorde Sandsør, Vice Dean of Research at the Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Oslo, says:
– As Vice Dean of Research, it is my great pleasure to congratulate Professor Eric Dearing, honorary doctor at the University of Oslo and Professor II at CREATE, on being named an AERA Fellow, a well deserved recognition of his outstanding scholarly contributions.