Na'ilah Suad Nasir is an

educational research Educational research refers to the systematic collection and analysis of evidence and data related to the field of education. Research may involve a variety of methods and various aspects of education including student learning, interaction, tea ...

er and the sixth president of the

Spencer Foundation The Spencer Foundation was established in 1962 by Lyle M. Spencer. This foundation makes grants to support research in areas of education that are widely construed. It is currently led by Na'ilah Suad Nasir. Founder Lyle M. Spencer was the f ...

. She was president of the

American Educational Research Association The American Educational Research Association (AERA, pronounced "A-E-R-A") is a professional organization representing education researchers in the United States and around the world. AERA's mission is to advance knowledge about education and ...

in 2021–22. Previously she held several named professorships, including the Birgeneau Chair in Educational Disparities and the H. Michael and Jeanne Williams Chair of

African-American Studies Black studies or Africana studies (with nationally specific terms, such as African American studies and Black Canadian studies), is an interdisciplinary academic field that primarily focuses on the study of the history, culture, and politics of ...

UC Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after the Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkele ...

, where she also served as the vice-chancellor of equity and inclusion. She has also taught as a faculty member at the

Stanford Graduate School of Education The Stanford University Graduate School of Education (Stanford GSE or GSE) is one of the top education schools in the United States. It offers master's and doctoral programs in more than 25 areas of specialization, along with joint degrees with ...

Education and career

Nasir earned her

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

from the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

and

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

Educational Psychology Educational psychology is the branch of psychology concerned with the scientific study of human learning. The study of learning processes, from both cognitive psychology, cognitive and behavioral psychology, behavioral perspectives, allows researc ...

from the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...

. Her academic career has focused on socio-cultural perspectives on education and advancing equitable school systems. Nasir's work has resulted in the publication of over 30 scholarly articles and several books including ''Racialized Identities: Race and Achievement Among African-American Youth''; ''Mathematics for Equity: A Framework for Successful Practice''; and ''We Dare Say Love: Supporting Achievement in the Educational Life of Black Boys''. She co-edited the ''Handbook of the Cultural Foundations of Learning''.

Honors and awards

In 2017, she was elected a member of the

National Academy of Education The National Academy of Education (NAEd) is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization in the United States that advances high-quality research to improve education policy and practice. Founded in 1965, the NAEd currently consists of over 300 elect ...

. In 2022, she gave the convocation speech to the Northwestern School of Education and Social Policy.

References

University of California, Berkeley alumni University of California, Berkeley faculty Year of birth missing (living people) Living people {{US-academic-bio-stub