A Northwestern University professor has received the 2018 Yidan Prize award for his research in statistical methods for meta-analysis.
The Yidan Prize Foundation named Larry Hedges, a professor of education and social policy, psychology, and medical social science, the recipient of the prestigious award, which is the largest prize in education research. It comes with $3.9 million in support.
The foundation praised Hedges for his work that serves as a foundation for evidenced-based education policy across the globe.
“I was a kid from a poor family. We didn’t know anybody who went to college,” Hedges said. “The reason I am passionate about education is precisely that it was a life-changing thing for me in terms of mobility, and I would like everybody else to have that chance.”
Northwestern President Morton Schapiro, who nominated Hedges for the Yidan Prize, praised him for his dedication and commitment to the education research.
“Larry’s vision and commitment to education as a vehicle to promote opportunity have boosted the prospects for a generation of students, and his impact on the field of education research is absolutely immeasurable,” Schapiro said. “In fact, his life’s work is informed by his own experience of the power of education to change lives.”
Recently, Hedges has started working on “single case” design focusing his attention on the smallest scale of educational research studies.