UNC School of Education professor emerita Linda Tillman, Ph.D., has been selected as a 2025 Fellow of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), joining a distinguished group of scholars recognized for their exceptional contributions to education research.
Nominated by her peers, Tillman joins a group of 29 exemplary scholars named 2025 AERA Fellows. Fellows were selected by the Fellows Committee and approved by the AERA Council, the association’s elected governing body. The AERA Fellows Program honors scholars for their exceptional contributions to and excellence in educational research.
Tillman was a member of the School’s faculty from 2004 until her retirement in 2014. She has served as a distinguished visiting professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
Her research and scholarship focus on school leadership, the education of African Americans in K-12 schools, mentoring in higher education, and culturally sensitive research approaches.
A former public school educator with experience in both high school teaching and administration, Tillman has dedicated her career to advancing research in school leadership, the education of African Americans in K-12 schools, and mentoring in higher education. Among her publications, she is the author of the SAGE Handbook of African American Education.
Fellows will be inducted during a ceremony at AERA’s 2025 Annual Meeting in Denver on April 24. With this cohort, there are a total of 791 AERA Fellows.
Before Tillman, Jeff Greene, Ph.D., the School’s interim associate dean for research and faculty development and McMichael Professor, was recognized as a 2024 AERA Fellow.
About AERA
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is the largest national interdisciplinary research association devoted to the scientific study of education and learning. Founded in 1916, AERA advances knowledge about education, encourages scholarly inquiry related to education, and promotes the use of research to improve education and serve the public good. Find AERA on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky.