Sharon Lynn Kagan

Sharon Lynn Kagan, EdD, is the Virginia and Leonard Marx Professor of Early Childhood and Family Policy, codirector of the National Center for Children and Families at Teachers College, Columbia University, and professor adjunct at Yale University’s Child Study Center. Recognized nationally and internationally for her accomplishments related to the care and education of young children, Kagan is a prolific public speaker, author of 300 articles and 14 books, a member of more than 30 national boards or panels, and is working with countries around the globe to establish early learning standards, public policies, and teacher education strategies. Recipient of national and international honorary doctoral degrees, Kagan is past president of the National Association for the Education of Young Children and a past president of Family Support America. She has served as chair of the National Education Goals Panel Technical Planning Group for Goal One; a member of the Clinton Education Transition Team; a Distinguished Fellow for the Education Commission of the States; and a member of numerous National Academy of Sciences, foundation, and administration panels. She was made a fellow of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) in 2010 and elected to membership in the National Academy of Education in 2012. She is the only woman in the history of American education to receive its three most prestigious awards: the 2004 Distinguished Service Award from the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), the 2005 James Bryant Conant Award for Lifetime Service to Education from the Education Commission of the States (ECS), and the Harold W. McGraw Jr. Prize in Education.