2020 News Stories

Professor receives national award for contributions to social science education field

TAMPA, Fla. (July 28, 2020) — College of Education Professor Michael J. Berson, PhD, received the Irving Morrissett Award for Outstanding Contribution to Social Science Education this month at the Social Science Education Consortium’s (SSEC) 2020 Annual Meeting.

The SSEC, founded in 1963, is a nonprofit educational corporation dedicated to strengthening social science content in social studies education. Since 2003, the SSEC Board of Directors has presented the Irving Morrissett Award to a member who has devoted their career to improving social studies and social science education. Individuals selected for the award have improved the field through significant scholarly publications and a continuing commitment to the field and the SSEC. 

Dr. Berson is a professor of social science education in the College of Education’s Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Learning. He coordinates the Social Science Education concentration of USF’s Curriculum and Instruction doctoral program and teaches numerous courses in the College of Education, including “Teaching Elementary School Social Studies,” “Social Science Education Technological Innovations,” “Cybersecurity and the Everyday Citizen,” and “Teaching the Holocaust.”

Dr. Berson’s research interests include elementary social studies education, civic education, Holocaust pedagogy, digital citizenship and cybersecurity in schools, and he has extensively published books, chapters, and journal articles and presented his research worldwide. He has received grants from the National Science Foundation, United States Department of Education, Florida Department of Education, the Spencer Foundation and the Library of Congress. He is also a Senior Fellow in The Florida Joint Center for Citizenship.