U of A Professors Make List of Top Education Scholars

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Jay Greene, from left, Patrick Wolf and Robert Maranto

Three University of Arkansas professors of education reform were again named to a list of the most influential education scholars in the country by the Washington-based think tank American Enterprise Institute.

Frederick M. Hess, director of the institute, releases the “Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings” each January to recognize university-based scholars who shape public discussions of education. Using eight metrics, Hess calculated how much university-based academics moved ideas from academic journals into the national conversation.

Jay Greene, holder of the Twenty-First Century Chair in Education Reform; Patrick Wolf, holder of the Twenty-First Century Chair in School Choice; and Robert Maranto, holder of the Twenty-First Century Chair in Leadership, have all appeared on the list for several years.

The 2015 list includes Greene at No. 50, Wolf at No. 108 and Maranto at No. 144.

“One small way to encourage academics to step into the fray and revisit academic norms is, I think, by doing more to recognize and value those scholars who engage in public discourse,” Hess said. “These results offer insight into how scholars in a field of public concern are influencing thinking and the national discourse.”

Hess posted the list Wednesday on his blog on the Education Week website.

Greene, head of the department of education reform in the College of Education and Health Professions, researches topics including the effect of cultural field trips on academic achievement, high school graduation rates and special education. He joined the department in 2005.

Wolf joined the faculty in 2006. His research focuses on school choice, including voucher programs. He recently wrote The School Choice Journey: School Vouchers and the Empowerment of Urban Families, also published by Palgrave Macmillan.

Maranto joined the faculty in 2008. His research focuses on charter schools and political and educational leadership. With others, Maranto has written or edited 11 books, including President Obama and Education Reform: The Personal and the Political, published by Palgrave Macmillan.