At the investiture event, Chrystalla Mouza, Edward William and Jane Marr Gutgsell Professor and Dean of the College of Education, provided the opening welcome and remarks.

“Dr. Perry is a trailblazer in the study of teacher and student cognition within classroom settings—research that is vital to advancing our understanding of how students learn,” said Mouza. “Her scholarly contributions have been both prolific and influential, complemented by her excellence as an educator and her deep commitment as a mentor. I am so pleased to warmly congratulate her on this well-deserved recognition and career milestone.”

Executive Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Interim Associate Chancellor and Vice Provost for Budget & Resource Planning Bill Bernhard offered congratulations on behalf of the Office of the Provost.

“It’s important to remember what a distinction it is to earn such an honor at a university like ours. Excellence is the norm at Illinois, so today marks a truly significant achievement,” said Bernhard. “Professor Perry, your work exemplifies the best of Illinois — a deep commitment to research, teaching, and making a difference in the lives of others.”

Several of Perry’s colleagues and former student advisees delivered comments and accolades to honor her prestigious accomplishment—including Educational Psychology Chair Kiel Christianson, Assistant Dean for Advancement Heather Zorn, and the professorship’s donor and namesake Professor Emeritus Richard “Dick” Anderson.

Zorn presented Anderson with a commemorative plaque for his generous endowments supporting scholars within the College of Education.

“Jana and I decided to give back to the university because it was a wonderful place for us to work. And we wanted to do our part to help the programs that we believe so much in prosper,” said Anderson. “It’s a special treat to me that the inaugural recipient is Michelle Perry, because Michelle and I have been colleagues ever since she got here. We’ve written papers together and cooperated in the education of quite a few graduate students. Michelle, I’m very proud of you,” he said.

About the Inaugural Recipient

After receiving her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Chicago in 1987 and a brief time on the faculty of the University of Michigan, Perry joined the Department of Educational Psychology at Illinois in 1992.

She is a faculty member affiliate of the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois. Perry is also currently the Dean’s Fellow for Faculty Development in the College of Education. Her research explores instructional, social, cultural, and discursive contexts that support learning of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics concepts, ranging from a focus on how young children learn mathematics to supporting teachers to improve their teaching of mathematics.

Read more about Michelle Perry ... 

About the Donor

Professor Emeritus Richard Anderson and his late wife, Professor Jana Mason, have established two major gifts in the College of Education to support Educational Psychology scholars: the Professor Richard C. Anderson Professorship in the Cognitive Science of Teaching and Learning and the Professor Richard C. Anderson Doctoral Research Assistant in Educational Psychology Fund.

As a faculty member, educational researcher, and scholar, Anderson has dedicated more than 50 years to conducting influential research on children’s reading and vocabulary growth. He is the patriarch of the National Consortium for Instruction and Cognition, which was started in 1969 by several of his graduate students. NCIC is still going strong, holding an annual conference with active research. In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education, Anderson founded the Center for the Study of Reading in 1976 to address the high number of U.S. schoolchildren who were struggling with reading. Eventually, the center expanded its research and development into Beijing Normal University.

Read more about Professor Emeritus Richard C. Anderson …