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William “Bill” Penuel, Distinguished Professor of Learning Sciences and Human Development in the School of Education, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences—one of the highest honors in academia and a historic milestone for the school.

Penuel, whose election alongside CU Boulder physics professor June Ye and other exemplary scholars nationwide was announced April 22, is the first faculty member from the School of Education ever elected to the Academy. He is also the first person from CU Boulder elected to the Academy’s Class III: Social and Behavioral Sciences since 2003, and only the third CU scholar ever elected in this area since the Academy’s founding in 1780.

His election recognizes his pioneering leadership in the learning sciences, including his influential work on research‑practice partnerships, fostering and studying equitable and engaging STEM learning, and compassion‑centered approaches to schooling. Penuel’s scholarship has shaped how educators and researchers collaborate to address systemic inequities and create learning environments that honor students’ identities, experiences and well‑being.

As a faculty member in the School of Education and the Institute of Cognitive Science and a faculty fellow in the Renée Crown Wellness Institute, Penuel partners closely with educators and communities to design curriculum, assessments and professional learning that support more just and meaningful classroom experiences. His contributions include developing an approach to education research and development called design‑based implementation research and authoring foundational books on research‑practice partnerships and, most recently, compassionate and dignity-affirming schools.

“Bill is an exceptional scholar whose work has transformed how educators and researchers collaborate to create more equitable, compassionate learning environments,” said Amanda Haertling Thein, dean of the School of Education. 

“Additionally, he is a generous and thoughtful colleague and mentor, who brings care, humility and purpose to everything he does. His work reflects the values we hold as a school, and his election illustrates the impact our faculty are making in the world.” 

CU Boulder �Թ��� Justin Schwartz noted that election to the Academy “is among the highest honors a scholar can receive,” adding that Penuel’s induction affirms the university’s role in advancing knowledge that strengthens public education and society. 

Penuel, Ye and new members will be formally inducted at the Academy’s 2026 ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts in October.