Patricia Alexander

Patricia Alexander is a Distinguished University Professor, the Jean Mullan Professor of Literacy, and Distinguished Scholar-Teacher in the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology at the University of Maryland where she heads the Disciplined Reading and Learning Research Laboratory. She has served as President of Division 15 (Educational Psychology) of the American Psychological Association, Vice-President of Division C (Learning and Instruction) of the American Educational Research Association, and Past-President of the Southwest Educational Research Association. A former middle-school teacher, Dr. Alexander received her reading specialist degree from James Madison University (1979) and her PhD in reading from the University of Maryland (1981). Since receiving her PhD, Dr. Alexander has published over 340 articles, books, chapters, and monographs in the area of learning and instruction. She has also presented over 400 papers or invited addresses at national and international conferences. She served as senior editor of Contemporary Educational Psychology from 2003 to 2022, was past editor of Instructional Science and Associate Editor of American Educational Research Journal-Teaching, Learning, and Human Development, and presently serves on 14 editorial boards including those for Learning and Instruction, Educational Psychologist, and the Journal of Educational Psychology. Dr. Alexander is a member of the National Academy of Education, and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the American Educational Research Association, and the Society for Text and Discourse. Named one of the five most influential educational psychologists over the past decade, her honors include the Oscar S. Causey Award for outstanding contributions to literacy research from the Literacy Research Association (2001), the E. L. Thorndike Award for Career Achievement in Educational Psychology from APA Division 15 (2006), and the Sylvia Scribner Career Award from AERA Division C (2007). In addition, she has received various national, university, and college awards for teaching and mentoring.