Early Career Award
NRMERA solicits nominations annually for the NRMERA Early Career Award. The award is presented each year at the NRMERA conference to recognize a member of NRMERA who is early in their professional career and has already made significant contributions to NRMERA and to the broader field of education. A plaque is given to the recipient at the annual meeting to honor their award.
The award committee consists of one executive committee member, two state representatives, and the graduate student representative. The president appoints the chair of the committee. The NRMERA Executive Committee must ratify recommendations of the awards committee.
2026 Committee
Chair: Justin Benna
State Reps: TBA
Graduate Student Rep: Maria Zaman
Award Criteria
Candidates for the award must meet the following criteria:
- Have earned a doctorate in an education-related field (e.g., curriculum and instruction, special education, educational psychology, school counseling, educational leadership, educational assessment, etc.);
- Have earned their doctoral degree within the past 8 years;
- Have been visibly active in NRMERA for no fewer than 4 years; and
- Show promise of achieving national visibility in the field.
2026 Early Career Award Nominations
To nominate a candidate for the Early Career Award, submit to Committee Chair Justin Benna by August 17:
- A current curriculum vitae (CV)
- Two letters of recommendation addressing the award criteria (one from the nominator and one from another NRMERA member)
Self-nominations are accepted.
We encourage you to consider colleagues whose scholarship, service, leadership, and engagement have already made a meaningful impact and whose work shows exceptional promise for the future. Thank you for helping us recognize and celebrate emerging leaders within NRMERA.
Past Award Recipients
| Year | —— | Early Career Award Recipients |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ||
| 2024 | Justin Benna — North Dakota State University (North Dakota) | |
| 2023 | Amanda Obery — Central Washington University (At-Large) | |
| 2022 | Amy Ratto-Parks — University of Montana (Montana) | |
| 2021 | Faye Haggar — University of Nebraska Medical Center (Nebraska) | |
| 2020 | No Awards — Conference cancelled due to COVID–19 Pandemic | |
| 2019 | Lindsay Diamond — University of Nevada, Reno (Nevada) | |
| 2018 | Amanda Eller — Idaho State University-Twin Falls (Idaho) | |
| 2017 | Unknown | |
| 2016 | William “Bill” Young — Oglala Lakota College (South Dakota) | |
| 2015 | Tara Beziat — Auburn University at Montgomery (At-Large) |