Education Week has released the 2026 Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings, an annual list of education researchers who have demonstrated the greatest influence over educational policy and practice. Four researchers from Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development are among the 200 who made the rankings.
That places them in the top 1 percent of the more than 20,000 university-based education researchers according to Frederick M. Hess, director of education policy for the American Enterprise Institute. Hess compiles the data each year.
The rankings draw on eight metrics, including Google scholar scores, number of book publications and ranking of books on Amazon, education media mentions, and number of times cited by members of Congress.
Four Vanderbilt faculty members are included in the 2026 rankings for the fourth consecutive year:
- Camilla Benbow, Patricia and Rodes Hart Dean of Education and Human Development, Office of the Dean, Department of Psychology and Human Development
- Jason Grissom, Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor and professor of leadership, policy, and organizations; faculty director, Tennessee Education Research Alliance
- Carolyn Heinrich, University Distinguished Professor of Public Policy and Education, Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations
- Rich Milner, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Education, Department of Teaching and Learning.
The complete list of 2026 Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings includes more information about the rubric used to calculate results.
