Dr. Rafael Lara-Alecio received the 2014 Distinguished Achievement Award for Research from Texas A&M University and the Association of Former Students on April 28, 2014 in a ceremony at Rudder Theatre.
The Distinguished Achievement Award for Research “recognizes and rewards those individuals whose research efforts have been particularly significant and outstanding work is recognized locally, nationally, and internationally.”
Dr. Lara-Alecio joined the faculty of Texas A&M in 1991 after earning his doctorate from the University of Utah. He is the director of the Bilingual Education Programs and the Center for Research and Development for Dual Language and Literacy Acquisition in the Department of Educational Psychology.
An external supporter described Dr. Lara-Alecio as “one of a small handful of founding fathers” in the area of multiple language acquisition and commented that he has been crucial to the growth and development of the field. One of his colleagues noted, “Dr. Lara-Alecio has the board-range strengths of an invigorating scholar whose ideas and work impact schools and communities in healthy ways. His long and championing leadership has strengthened a successful curriculum development for educators and schools and contributes to the growth of a culturally responsive K-12 pedagogy.”