Jonte Myers, a doctoral student in special education at the University of Florida, was recently awarded a 2018-19 Minority Dissertation Fellowship in Education Research from the American Educational Research Association (AERA).
Myers is one of seven doctoral students from across the country that received this award which, according to AERA, “examine areas such as youth identity, school violence, children’s literacy, linguistics, and social and family outcomes of higher education policy.”

Jonte Myers

Through his research, Teacher Qualifications and Student Math Achievement in Secondary Schools: An Exploratory Study, AERA believes that Myers’ work, along with the six other fellowship recipients, “will make a significant contribution to education research and policy as well as inform teachers, clinicians, and other practitioners who work with children, youth, and young adults.”

“This is very well deserved,” commented UF special education professor Holly Lane, “It is a highly competitive award but Jonte has demonstrated throughout his doctoral program that he is a stellar student. He has also received exceptional mentorship from Mary Brownell, so it’s no surprise that he was awarded this prestigious fellowship.”

Fellows are awarded a $19,000 stipend to complete their dissertation research and training, and receive a $1,000 stipend for travel expenses to attend the 2019 AERA Annual Meeting. At the Annual Meeting, Myers will meet with the Selection Committee members and other senior scholars as part of a mentoring and career development workshop and present his work to the education research community in a poster session.

“Personally, this award represents another opportunity to inspire my peers,” noted Myers, “to continue to pursue their dreams despite adversities or obstacles that may come their way.”

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
AERA News Release: http://www.aera.net/Newsroom/AERA-Highlights-E-newsletter/AERA-Highlights-June-2018/AERA-Announces-201819-Minority-Dissertation-Fellows
EduGators Who Make An Impact: Jonte Myers: https://education.ufl.edu/jontes-journey/