Professor Kara Finnigan named editor-chief of AERA Open

The American Educational Research Association (AERA) has announced Kara Finnigan, professor of education policy at the University of Rochester’s Warner School of Education, as the new editor-chief for AERA Open for 2022-24. Warner School alumna Cecilia Rios-Aguilar ‘03W (MS), '07W (PhD), professor of education and associate dean of equity, diversity, and inclusion at the School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, has also been appointed to the editorial team, serving as co-editor with five other scholars.
AERA launched the publication in 2014 as one of the first open access journals published by social and behavioral science associations. In 2019, AERA Open was named the “Best New Journal in Social Sciences” by the Association of American Publishers. Since 2014, the journal has received over 3,000 submissions with over 400 published.
In a press release, AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine shared that she is thrilled with the appointment of such an outstanding team of prominent scholars. “Under their leadership, the journal will build on the success of the inaugural team as they advance AERA Open’s tradition of rapid peer review, open access, and broad dissemination of research to a worldwide audience,” said Levine.
With an emphasis on rapid review and dissemination, AERA Open aims to advance knowledge related to education and learning through rigorous empirical and theoretical study, conducted in a wide range of academic disciplines. The journal publishes studies of education and learning in various contexts, such as early childhood, after-school, primary and secondary, and postsecondary education.
2020–21 AERA President Shaun Harper appointed the new editor team for AERA Open. This appointment culminated an extensive search driven by the AERA Journal Publications Committee, which is charged with making editorial recommendations to the president. As editors, Finnigan and her colleagues will begin receiving new manuscripts on October 1, 2021.


The new editor team, announced by AERA on July 9, 2021, will succeed the inaugural team led by editor-chief Mark Warschauer, of University of California, Irvine. Read the full AERA press release announcing the new editor team for AERA Open.
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is the largest national interdisciplinary research association devoted to the scientific study of education and learning. Founded in 1916, AERA advances knowledge about education, encourages scholarly inquiry related to education, and promotes the use of research to improve education and serve the public good. Learn more about AERA.
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