Deven E. Carlson, Ph.D., associate professor of political science at the University of Oklahoma and associate director for education at the Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis, has been listed among the nation’s top 200 most influential education scholars.
The 2023 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings list, released by Education Week, scores each scholar on nine criteria, including Google Scholar ranking, book publications, Amazon rankings, text inclusions in academic syllabi, mentions in newspaper, web, and education-focused articles, Congressional Record mentions and Twitter scores to determine each researcher’s social authority.
With more than 20,000 university-based faculty currently researching education in the United States, inclusion is a major achievement. “Being recognized as a high impact education scholar is important because it shows that it’s not something relegated to the Ivy League,” Carlson said. “We all set out to improve lives and communities, so it’s nice to have your work recognized as having an impact on your discipline, your field and your community.”
Carlson’s research explores the operations of public policies and analyzes their effects on political, social, and economic outcomes of interest. Projects he is currently working on include desegregation efforts in North Carolina, the impact of extreme weather on student learning, and school choice policies in Oklahoma and throughout the country.
“Deven’s fantastic scholarship is paired with phenomenal teaching and meaningful leadership here on campus and in the broader academic community,” Alisa Hicklin Fryar, Ph.D., professor and political science department chair, said. “We’re so lucky to have him.”
Carlson was first named to the RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings list in 2013. “Early on, I focused on school choice and school accountability. Now I’m looking at school desegregation and financial aid,” Carlson explained. “So, the general theme has remained similar, but the details and specifics of the policies have changed over time.”
Carlson also credits the work being led by OU’s Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis in making an impact for education policy.
“IPPRA’s not just producing research for other academics,” he said. “It’s taking research from weather, education, environment, energy and putting it into policymaker’s hands to improve things on a lot of different fronts.”
Carol Silva, Ph.D., IPPRA codirector, interim senior associate vice president for research and partnerships and Edith Kinney Gaylord Presidential Professor of Political Science, said, “IPPRA is proud to have Deven as part of its core leadership team. His scholarship, grantsmanship, and mentoring of our students is so very valuable.”
Follow Carlson on Twitter @devencarlson.
