On September 9th, Adam Gamoran, PhD, was nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) in the U.S. Department of Education. If confirmed by the Senate, he will succeed Mark Schneider, PhD, whose six-year term ended on March 28th. Dr. Gamoran is currently the President of the William T. Grant Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to funding social science research with a focus on reducing inequality in youth outcomes and enhancing the use of research-based evidence. As Director of IES, Dr. Gamoran will serve as the principal advisor to the Secretary of Education on research, statistics, and evaluation activities. The Director will oversee and coordinate the Institute’s activities, set research priorities, approve operating plans, and manage an $800 million budget. In addition, he ensures that research methodologies meet required standards and are aligned with other federal and departmental research efforts.
Dr. Gamoran’s research has received funding from various institutions, including the National Science Foundation (NSF) and IES. His work has been recognized by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, the American Educational Research Association (AERA), and the Sociology of Education Section of the American Sociological Association. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, served as Vice President of the National Academy of Education, and has contributed to numerous panels for the National Research Council (NRC). Dr. Gamoran chaired the Independent Advisory Panel of the National Assessment of Career and Technical Education for the U.S. Department of Education for four years and was appointed twice, in 2010 and 2012, by former President Barack Obama to serve on the National Board for Education Sciences.
Dr. Gamoran earned his Bachelor’s degree in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, a Master’s degree in Social Sciences, and a Ph.D. in the Sociology of Education, all from the University of Chicago. He began his academic career at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he served as a professor for 30 years. During his time there, he held the John D. MacArthur Chair in Sociology and Educational Policy Studies and spent three decades researching educational inequality and school reform. He later developed strategies to enhance academic performance and reduce learning disparities, including training programs for teachers and family engagement initiatives aimed at improving both academic and social outcomes. His books, such as Stratification in Higher Education: A Comparative Study and The Future of Education Research at IES: Advancing an Equity-Oriented Science, reflect how educational structures and policies can help mitigate inequalities in education.
