Tabbye Chavous

American Educational Research Association

Executive Director

Tabbye M. Chavous became executive director of the American Educational Research Association in 2025, bringing over 25 years of experience and significant accomplishments in research, teaching, and organizational advancement. Chavous joined AERA from the University of Michigan, where she is a professor of education and psychology. She earned her PhD in community psychology from the University of Virginia and dedicated her career to educational equity, advancing strengths-based frameworks for studying the experiences of marginalized communities and working with educational systems to draw on this knowledge in ways that serve all students. Chavous' research centers social identity development among Black youth; achievement motivation processes among racially minoritized students; and measurement of educational climates in secondary and postsecondary settings and implications for students' academic, social, and psychological adjustment. Chavous's scholarship underscores foundational research and its practical applications through integrity-grounded collaborations with schools and school systems; youth, families, and communities; and organizations at local, state, and national levels. Her work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Spencer Foundation, among others. An experienced institutional leader, Chavous held positions at the University of Michigan at central administration, college, and department levels. These include vice provost for equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer; associate vice president for research; director of the National Center for Institutional Diversity; associate dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts; associate dean for academic programs and initiatives in the Rackham Graduate School; and chair of the Combined Program in Education and Psychology. Across her career, she has consistently advocated for high-quality, inclusive research, and equity-oriented leadership is evident in her approaches to building and transforming educational environments.