College of Education Dean Awarded AERA Presidential Citation

College of Education Dean Cynthia Dillard, PhD, has been awarded a 2023 Presidential Citation by AERA President H. Richard Milner, IV, for her myriad achievements in teaching, research and service during her accomplished career in education. 

"It’s an honor to receive a 2023 Presidential Citation from AERA, an organization that has done so much to further my teaching, scholarship, research and leadership," explains Dr. Dillard. "I'm thrilled that my career has allowed me to work toward equity and justice in so many different sites of education worldwide. I look forward to continuing to (re)ignite education in that spirit with colleagues and students who continue to inspire me every day.”

Dr. Dillard brought a wealth of experience as an educator and leader to Seattle University. Before being appointed Dean of the College of Education in March 2021, she served as Chair of the Department of Educational Theory and Practice at the University of Georgia and Associate Dean for Equity and Diversity at The Ohio State University, among others.

The Dean’s scholarship includes research on intersections of race, culture, gender and spirituality, particularly in the context of teaching and education. She has authored or edited four books, most recently The spirit of our work: Black women teachers (re)member. Additionally, Dr. Dillard has written a multitude of articles, book chapters and other scholarly pieces, while frequently presenting as a keynote speaker or panelist at national conferences. 

She has received more than a dozen awards and recognitions throughout her career, including the 2019 Taylor & Francis Award for Lifetime Achievement from the American Educational Studies Association (AESA). 

Her work as a teacher-scholar and mentor to many is matched by her commitment to service. As president and founder of Give. Build. Share., Dr. Dillard has led an effort to build schools in rural areas of Ghana, giving students educational opportunities that previously were not available. In fact, she founded and directs a preschool and elementary school with her husband in Mpeasem (M-pee-a-sem) in the central region of Ghana. 

As AERA President Milner said when awarding Dr. Dillard with a presidential citation, "As Dr. Dillard notes, to whom much is given, much is expected, and she embodies this commitment in everything she does. Dr. Dillard has opened the doors for so many. She has supported, nurtured, pushed, believed in, made a difference for and mentored so many.”

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