The International Literacy Association (ILA) today announced the recipients of its 2020 awards and grants, including the William S. Gray Citation of Merit—ILA’s highest honor—which was awarded to Kent State University’s Timothy V. Rasinski.
The William S. Gray Citation of Merit honors a nationally or internationally known individual for their outstanding contributions to the field of reading/literacy.
Rasinski, a longtime member of the organization, is a professor of literacy education and the director of Kent State’s award-winning Reading and Writing Center. He is the author and editor of more than 200 articles and 50 books, and his research—particularly on word study and fluency—has been cited by the National Reading Panel and numerous journals. In addition, his involvement with ILA is extensive: He served a three-year term on the Board of Directors (when ILA was the International Reading Association), was coeditor of ILA’s The Reading Teacher journal and is a frequent contributor to all three of ILA’s journals and many of ILA’s professional learning events.
“Tim Rasinski is one of those names that’s synonymous with high-quality literacy research, resources and professional development, especially when it comes to foundational reading and writing skills and struggling readers,” said ILA Executive Director Marcie Craig Post. “We are fortunate to benefit from his expertise and his tireless contributions to the field, and it’s our honor to recognize him with this well-deserved award.”
In addition to Rasinski’s ILA involvement, he also served as coeditor of the Journal of Literacy Research and president of the College Reading Association, and he has experience as an elementary, middle and Title I schoolteacher. In 2010, he was elected into the Reading Hall of Fame.
In total, 20 educators and literacy leaders were honored in this year’s awards program. The Timothy & Cynthia Shanahan Outstanding Dissertation Award, given annually for a dissertation completed in reading or literacy, was presented to John Z. Strong, University of Buffalo, New York, for his dissertation, “The Effects and Social Validity of a Text Structure Intervention for Reading and Writing.”
Other award highlights include the following:
- Corwin Literacy Leader Award, presented to Lisa Forehand, Harborside Elementary School, California
- Diane Lapp & James Flood Professional Collaborator Award, presented to Jerry L. Johns, Northern Illinois University; Susan Lenski, Portland State University; and Laurie Elish-Piper, Northern Illinois University
- Elva Knight Research Grant, presented to Alisha Nguyen, Boston College, Massachusetts