Institute of Education Sciences Director Grover J. (Russ) Whitehurst is the 2007 recipient of the prestigious Peter H. Rossi Award for contributions to the theory or practice of program evaluation.
Given annually by the Association for Public Policy and Management (APPAM), the award honors the lifetime achievements of Rossi, the late sociologist best known for his seminal contributions to the field of evaluation of social programs.
Whitehurst, who will receive the award at an APPAM convention in Washington November 9, said, "I am pleased to accept this honor as recognition of the work of IES in advancing use of methodologically rigorous designs for determining the effectiveness of education programs." IES has over 20 large-scale evaluations of federal education programs ongoing through its National Center for Education Evaluation, funds large numbers of independent researchers to evaluate the effectiveness of field-initiated programs through its National Center for Education Research and its National Center for Special Education Research, and provides the public with high-quality reviews of research on the effectiveness of education interventions through its What Works Clearinghouse.
Whitehurst has declined the cash award that accompanies the honor.
Whitehurst is the third Rossi honoree, following Charles Frederick Mosteller of Harvard University, in 2005, and Robinson G. Hollister of Swarthmore College, in 2006.
The APPAM is an organization dedicated to improving public policy and management by fostering excellence in research, analysis and education.
Whitehurst has been the only director of IES, which was established within the U.S. Department of Education by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002. Whitehurst previously served as assistant secretary for the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, the predecessor of the Institute. He also served as a professor of psychology and pediatrics and chairman of the Department of Psychology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He is the author or editor of five books and has published more than 100 scholarly papers.