Annual awards recognize excellence in teaching, research, and advocacy
A nationally known expert in literacy studies who is leading a transformative higher education center, a former elected leader of four national literacy organizations, and a scholar of diverse young adult literature are among the winners of the 2025 National Council of Teachers of English Leadership Awards.
“It is a joyful day when we have the opportunity to honor the profession’s leaders for their unwavering dedication to fostering literacy and to bolstering English language arts educators everywhere,” said NCTE President Tonya B. Perry, who is also provost and vice president of academic affairs at Miles College. “Our 2025 Leadership Award winners are doing crucial work that will benefit students for years to come.”
The NCTE Leadership Awards are presented annually to individuals who have demonstrated leadership and commitment in advancing literacy, the field of education, and NCTE, the professional organization for literacy teachers spanning preK–college. Awardees are nominated by NCTE members.
“The NCTE Leadership Awards remind us to pause and reflect on the immense contributions of our members and colleagues to building a more literate society through English language arts education,” NCTE Executive Director Emily Kirkpatrick said. “It is a privilege to honor these literacy leaders and to count them as part of our NCTE community.”
2025 Leadership Award Recipients
James R. Squire Award: Ernest Morrell, University of Notre Dame
Distinguished Service Award: Douglas Hesse, University of Denver
NCTE Advancement of People of Color Leadership Award: E. Sybil Durand, University of Arizona
NCTE Leadership Award for People with Disabilities: Brittany R. Collins, Write the World, Inc.
NCTE LGBTQIA+ Advocacy and Leadership Award: Josh Thompson, Virginia Tech
NCTE Media Literacy Award: Cassie J. Brownell, University of Toronto
David H. Russell Award for Distinguished Research in the Teaching of English: The Magnitude of Us: An Educator’s Guide to Creating Culturally Responsive Classrooms by Marlee S. Bunch
NCTE National Intellectual Freedom Award: Frank Strong, KIPP Austin Collegiate High School, Texas Freedom to Read Project
NCTE National Intellectual Freedom Award Honorable Mention: Ben Hodge and Patricia A. Jackson, Central York High School
Alan C. Purves Award: “Heteroglossia and Community Translanguaging in an English-Medium Classroom: Multilingual Elementary Students’ Use of Multiple Voices in Digital Texts” by Lindsey Rowe
Award recipients will be honored during a ceremony at the 2025 NCTE Annual Convention in Denver on Saturday, November 22, at 7:30 a.m. ET.
Individuals who are interested in nominating an NCTE member for a 2026 Leadership Award may fill out this form. Winners will be honored at next year’s NCTE Annual Convention in Philadelphia.
About NCTE
The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is the professional organization for literacy teachers spanning preK through college. Through the expertise and advocacy from its members’ professional research, practice, and knowledge, NCTE has served at the forefront of every major improvement in the teaching and learning of English and the language arts since 1911. For more information, please visit ncte.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Allie Ciaramella, NCTE: media@ncte.org