LOS ANGELES, Feb. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Robert Rueda, Stephen H. Crocker Professor in Education for the USC Rossier School of Education, was elected as a member of the National Academy of Education (NAEd) – the first USC professor ever to be vested by the Academy.

As an honorific society, the Academy consists of up to 200 U.S. members and up to 25 international associates who are elected on the basis of outstanding scholarship or outstanding contributions to education. Founded in 1965, the mission of NAEd is to advance the highest quality education research and its use in policy formulation and practice. Rueda was welcomed into the esteemed Academy at its Washington, D.C. convening in April.

"This is among the most prestigious of honors for an education researcher," said USC Rossier Dean Karen Symms Gallagher. "Dr. Rueda has earned this distinction through a remarkable academic career that focuses on improving learning for underserved students. I join the University and my Rossier colleagues in offering my sincere congratulations."

Rueda's research interests focus on sociocultural factors in learning and motivation. He is currently engaged in work on several research and writing projects, including short term motivational interventions in developmental mathematics settings; cognitive and motivational factors in academic achievement with urban high school students; examining friendship and peer relationships as factors in bullying; and examining research on motivational interventions in school settings.

Rueda played a leadership role in the redesign of USC Rossier's Education doctorate (Ed.D) program, building it into a national model for practitioner-based programs, according to the Carnegie Commission on the Education Doctorate.  He has served on several national panels, including the National Literacy Panel on Language Minority Children and Youth, and the Panel on Minority Students in Special and Gifted Education for the National Research Council. He also has been a member of the editorial boards of multiple major education journals.

Rueda is also a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association and the American Psychological Association. His recent book Urban Education: A Model for Leadership and Policy, co-authored with Karen Symms Gallagher, Rodney Goodyear, and Dominic Brewer, was published by Routledge.

The mission of the USC Rossier School of Education (ross-EAR) is to improve learning in urban education locally, nationally and globally. Rossier leads the way in innovative, collaborative solutions to improve education outcomes. Our work is field-based, in the classroom, and online, and reflects a diversity of perspectives and experiences. We pride ourselves on innovation in all our programs, preparing teachers, administrators, and educational leaders who are change agents. We support the most forward-thinking scholars and researchers, whose work is having direct impact on student success in K-12 schools and higher education.  We are leaders in using cutting-edge technology to scale up our quality programs for maximum impact. The Rossier School of Education is part of The University of Southern California, one of the world's leading private research universities, located in the heart of Los Angeles.

SOURCE USC Rossier School of Education