Jennifer Esposito, chair of the College of Education & Human Development’s Department of Educational Policy Studies and Distinguished University Professor, has been named the 2024 recipient of the American Educational Research Association's (AERA) Distinguished Contributions to Gender Equity in Education Research Award.
Established in 2006, the Distinguished Contributions to Gender Equity in Education Research Award recognizes individuals for distinguished research, professional practice and activities that advance public understanding of gender and/or sexuality at any level in the education community.
Esposito’s research can be divided into two strands of inquiry: 1.) How do race, class, gender and/or sexuality impact a person’s experiences within education, broadly conceived? 2.) How are marginalized groups represented in popular culture and what are the impacts of those representations? She is the author of two books and more than 50 articles and book chapters. Her book, “Introduction to Intersectional Qualitative Research” (co-authored with Venus Evans Winters) was published by Sage in 2021, and “Intersectional Analysis of Popular Culture Texts: Clarity in the Matrix” (co-authored with Erica Edwards) was published by Routledge in 2020. The latter won the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry 2021 Book Award and the American Educational Studies Association’s 2021 Critic’s Choice Award. Her research has been published in journals such as Qualitative Inquiry, International Journal of Qualitative Research in Education, International Review of Qualitative Research, Urban Education and Urban Review.
Active at all levels of service to the university, Esposito has served as the College of Education & Human Development’s research, measurement and statistics program coordinator, served on the Georgia State University Senate and served on department-, college- and university-level committees. As part of her work on the university’s Racial Taskforce, Esposito, along with other taskforce members, received Georgia State’s inaugural JEDI Award, which acknowledges leaders within the Georgia State community whose work and values reflect their commitment to creating an inclusive, just environment.
“This award is a full circle moment for me. Twenty-five years ago, I began graduate school working with the late Sari Biklen on an American Association of University Women’s funded project, Vocabularies of Gender. This project merged my research interests of race/gender in education with qualitative research methodology,” Esposito said. “I’ve had the honor and privilege of continuing to refine qualitative methods in relation to gender, race, class and sexuality and mentor many students with similar interests. It’s such an honor to be recognized for this work. I dedicate this award to my dissertation advisor, who got me started on this path. Even all these years later, I know she would be so proud of me.”
Esposito is one of 16 scholars from across the country who received AERA’s excellence in education research awards this year. The association honored her at an awards ceremony at its 2024 annual meeting in Philadelphia.
“We are pleased to present the 2024 awards to this commendable and exemplary group of education scholars and champions,” said AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine. “They each have contributed tremendously to education research, across all career stages and fields, that have made and continue to make a difference in the lives of students and educators.”