Elizabeth Hadley, PhD
Elizabeth Hadley, PhD, an assistant professor in the University of South Florida (USF) College of Education, was awarded the 2022 Early Career Award by the American Educational Research Association’s (AERA) Early Education and Child Development Special Interest Group (SIG).
The Early Career Award is made annually to an individual with an early and promising record as a researcher and scholar in the early childhood field, as evidenced through competitive publications and other scholarly activity suggesting a vital research agenda.
Dr. Hadley, who serves as a faculty member in USF’s Literacy Studies Program, joined the USF College of Education in 2017. Her research focuses on supporting oral language development in preschool classrooms, particularly through building rich vocabulary knowledge. Her scholarship explores the relationship between preschool oral language skills and later reading comprehension and how preschool teachers can foster academic vocabulary growth in children from underserved communities.
“I am honored to receive this award, and grateful for the support of my colleagues at USF, which has been instrumental in building my research agenda," Dr. Hadley said. "I look forward to continuing my line of research in preschool language and literacy development, and hope that in partnership with our community members, we can make a difference in educational outcomes for our youngest learners in Tampa Bay and beyond.”
Dr. Hadley will be presented with the award at the Early Education and Child Development SIG’s business meeting during the AERA Annual Meeting in April.