NCTE members recognized for shaping the future of literacy and language arts through research and practice
Visionary educators who are propelling their students and peers forward at schools, universities, libraries, and nonprofit organizations across the country will be honored among thousands of colleagues this fall after receiving prestigious 2026 NCTE Leadership Awards.
“It is a privilege to honor these exceptional members of our organization for their crucial work to promote literacy and advance English language arts education and educators,” NCTE President Antero Garcia said. “Through their classroom practice, scholarship, and professional engagement, this year’s Leadership Award winners demonstrate an unwavering dedication to leading with passion and purpose—a necessary, if not always easy, task.”
Recipients will be recognized during a ceremony at the NCTE Annual Convention in Philadelphia on Saturday, November 21, at 7:30 a.m. ET.
2026 Award Recipients
Susi Long, Professor Emerita, University of South Carolina
Jacqueline Jones Royster, Professor Emerita, The Ohio State University and Georgia Institute of Technology
NCTE Advancement of People of Color Leadership Award
Latrise P. Johnson, University of Alabama
NCTE Leadership Award for People with Disabilities
Dale Katherine Ireland, California State University, East Bay
LGTBQIA+ Advocacy & Leadership Award
William Banks, East Carolina University
Julia E. Berry Research Award to Study Careers of English Majors
Sarah J. Donovan, Oklahoma State University, for her research From Relational Assessment to Institutional Grading: How English Majors Develop Assessment Literacy across Their Careers
Julia E. Berry Research Award to Study Careers of English Majors
Rochelle (Shelley) Rodrigo and Tiffany Portewig, University of Arizona, for their research Pathways to Publishing from Bachelors Degrees in English
Scott Storm, University at Albany, State University of New York
Jesse Hagopian for Teach Truth: The Struggle for Antiracist Education