image: Researcher Elizabeth Tighe Wins Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers
view more
Credit: Courtesy: Georgia State
ATLANTA — Associate Professor of Developmental Psychology Elizabeth Tighe, assistant director of the Adult Literacy Research Center at Georgia State University, recently received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). This is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers early in their careers.
Tighe is the lab director of the Adult Language Literacy and Learning Lab and an affiliated faculty member with the university’s Language and Literacy Initiative. Her primary research centers on understanding the literacy skills and instructional needs of adults who need extra support in reading, including adults enrolled in adult literacy programs, postsecondary students, incarcerated adults and multilingual adults. Her work specifically focuses on developing better instructional materials and interventions on reading-related skills and understanding the challenges adults may face when interacting with digital assessments and technology in the classroom.
“We are immensely proud of Dr. Tighe’s unwavering dedication to advancing adult literacy," said Donald Hamelberg, GSU’s interim vice president for Research and Economic Development. “This prestigious award underscores the powerful impact of her work and the outstanding research being conducted at Georgia State University.”
“I am truly honored to receive this award and to help shine a light on the critical need for research in this area,” Tighe said. “This award also represents the collective efforts and collaborations of many, and I am grateful to everyone who has played a part in supporting me along my research journey.”
Established by President Bill Clinton in 1996, PECASE recognizes scientists and engineers who show exceptional potential for leadership early in their research careers. The award recognizes innovative and far-reaching developments in science and technology, expands awareness of careers in science and engineering, recognizes the scientific missions of participating agencies, enhances connections between research and impacts on society, and highlights the importance of science and technology for the nation’s future.
For more information about Georgia State University research and its impact, visit research.gsu.edu.