Leigh Patel elected to National Academy of Education

Leigh Patel, professor in the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, has been elected to the National Academy of Education (NAEd), an honorific society of scholars and educators who make outstanding contributions to the education field.

She is one of 17 new members elected from around the United States.

As a member of NAEd, Patel will serve on expert study panels that address pressing issues in education and will be a mentor for the organization’s professional development fellowship programs.

Patel is a transdisciplinary scholar who studies the narratives that shape how people are treated in society. She is an internationally known scholar of education, ethnic studies, critical higher education studies and literacy.

“This is a significant honor that means a great deal to me,” Patel said. “There are a number of Black, Indigenous, migrant and decolonial women in the Academy doing quality research that impacts the possible futures of Black and Brown children. Their work has deeply influenced me, and it’s an honor to be in the same group.”