Nominated by: Andrea K. Rorrer
Dr. Robert C. Pianta is Dean at Curry School of Education and Director of the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning at the University of Virginia. Dr. Pianta’s contributions to education have shed light specifically on “what is effective, quality teaching.” His work is simultaneously designed to be accessible to and applicable for practitioners, policy makers, and other scholars alike. His scholarship exemplifies the thoughtful, intellectually focused, and rigorous empirical research that ensures a solid foundation of knowledge, illuminates the fundamental importance of teacher-student interactions, and both the “what” and the “how” of effective teaching.