The National Academy of Education (NAEd) has announced the recipients of the 2025 NAEd/Spencer Dissertation and Postdoctoral Fellowships. Among this year's distinguished recipients are Teachers College students and alumni: Noël Um-Lo (Ph.D. '26), Kemigisha, Richardson (Ph.D. '26) and Matt Kautz (Ph.D. '22).
Each year, the fellowship aims to provide funding and professional development to early-career scholars whose projects address critical issues in the history, theory, or practice of formal or informal education at both the national and international levels.
"We are so proud of Kemigisha, Noël, and Matt. This is an incredibly competitive and prestigious award," shared KerryAnn O’Meara, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Provost, and Dean of the College. "Those who receive it go on to do impactful research with great visibility. We look forward to following all that they do next."
Learn more about this year’s recipients and their impactful work.
Matt Kautz (Ph.D. '22, History & Education)
His Impact: Kautz’s research examines the contemporary school-prison nexus. “The fellowship will allow me to finish my dissertation as a TC student into its final form for publication with the University of Pennsylvania Press,” he shares. “I hope this work helps untangle the complicated relationship between education, law enforcement and economic policy in ways that enable educators, citizens and policymakers to promote just educational policies for future students.”
What’s Next: The fellowship will enable Kautz to complete his manuscript for his first book, Punishing Promise, which examines how white resistance to school desegregation in Boston contributed to the rise of mass incarceration.“I am extremely grateful to receive the NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship, as its recognition of my work not only confirms the importance of historical research in tackling pressing educational issues but also challenges me to make that research accessible and inspire change.”
Noël Um-Lo (Ph.D. '26, Anthropology & Education)
Her Impact: During her time at TC, Um-Lo has developed a deep appreciation for young people and their capacity to aspire in the face of uncertainty. “My research interest in secondary and postsecondary education grew out of two formative experiences at TC: first, as a Zankel Fellow conducting youth participatory action research in a Harlem Civics project with Ansley Erickson, Associate Professor of History and Education Policy, and second, from pilot fieldwork on Asian American youth civic care work in Flushing, Queens,” she explains.
Um-Lo explores how the concept of Korean unification, although it is receding as a geopolitical reality, remains a framework for North Korean diasporic youth. “My dissertation interrogates how youth and the institutions that govern them strategically mobilize the logic of unification for their advancement,” she explains. “I hope my research draws attention to the agency, capacity and humanity of displaced young people beyond their relationship to state-building projects.”
What’s Next: “I'm looking forward to working on articles with North Korean interlocutor and friend, Eunsook Jang, while I finish my dissertation,” she says. Beyond that, Um-Lo plans to turn her dissertation into a monograph and will be applying for postdoctoral fellowships this fall.
Kemigisha Richardson (Ph.D. '26, International & Comparative Education)
Her Impact: Richardson’s research explores models and understandings of inclusive education by analyzing the lived experiences of students with disabilities attending schools in refugee and host communities in Uganda. She employs qualitative and visual methods to understand how students with marginalized identities feel welcomed and valued in their classrooms.
“I collected data over four months in the Kyangwali refugee settlement and Kampala through student journals, classroom observations, and interviews with students, teachers, school leaders and education stakeholders,” she shares. “My fieldwork would not have been possible without the guidance and mentorship I received from faculty at Teachers College, and I hope this research study makes an impact by bridging the gap between theory and practice to foster transformative learning environments for all.”
What’s Next: After completing her Ph.D., Richardson plans to pursue research and teaching opportunities in higher education. “I am committed to conducting and publishing innovative research related to inclusive education and education in emergencies, which I firmly believe is essential for creating high-quality learning environments where marginalized children can thrive.”
View the full list of this year’s NAEd/Spencer Fellowship recipients here.