Tutwiler, Jiang to Receive Alumni Council Awards

The Harvard Graduate School of Education will honor two alumni — Patrick Tutwiler, Ed.M.’00, and Yang Jiang, Ed.M.’11 — for their outstanding contributions to the field of education.

Tutwiler, currently Massachusetts secretary of education, will receive the HGSE Alumni Council Award for Excellence in Education, awarded annually to an alum who demonstrates significant, long-term service in the field of education while representing the mission and values of the Ed School. Jiang, a research scientist at Educational Testing Service, will be honored with the HGSE Alumni Council Award for Impact in Education, given annually to an alum who has successfully created and implemented work that has impacted the field and communities while bringing hope to the educational landscape.

The Alumni Council Award winners will be presented with their honors at the HGSE Convocation proceedings on May 28.

"I am excited to have been part of the selection committee for our 2025 Alumni Council winners, Yang Jiang and Patrick Tutwiler,” says Alumni Council co-chair Karen Jackson-Weaver, Ed.M.’95. “Both individuals had such strong portfolios and nomination materials. It was evident to all of us that their work has not only improved education in significant and monumental ways, but their efforts clearly embody the mission and values of the Harvard Graduate School of Education. I am honored to present them with their award at the upcoming convocation ceremony."

Tutwiler, who has served as secretary of education in Massachusetts since January 2023, has more than two decades of educational experience as a teacher, headmaster, superintendent, and executive. Prior to his work for the Commonwealth, Tutwiler was the senior program officer at the Barr Foundation, a grantmaking organization focused on arts, climate, and education. An adjunct lecturer on education at the Ed School, Tutwiler’s work has consistently championed educational access, opportunities for all students, and equity.

“I am honored to receive the Alumni Council Award for Excellence in Education. To receive a distinction previously awarded to so many people whose work I admire and have studied is truly humbling,” says Tutwiler. “For nearly 25 years, I’ve dedicated each day to ensuring every student, regardless of background or circumstance, has access to a high-quality education.  That journey began on Appian Way and the work continues.”

Tutwiler served for seven years as the superintendent of the Lynn, Massachusetts, public school system, where he led a collaborative, equity-centered effort to create the state’s second-largest early college program, which resulted in higher graduation rates and a more racially diverse staff. In March 2025, he was elected interim Commissioner of the Department of Early and Secondary Education for Massachusetts.

Jiang’s research into generative artificial intelligence (AI) at Educational Testing Service provides insight into one of the most timely challenges in the modern education landscape. Her team has worked to explore ethical uses of AI and to develop tools to determine if student essays were written using AI, along with other tools to limit biases across diverse groups.

“Winning this award is incredibly meaningful to me. I’m deeply honored and humbled to be recognized by HGSE — a place that ignited my passion for educational research, shaped my professional path, and continues to inspire my work today,” says Jiang. “This recognition is more than a personal honor; it’s a powerful affirmation of the questions that have guided my work: How do we use AI responsibly and ethically in education? How do we ensure that technology supports all students, rather than reinforces existing inequities? To have my research recognized in this way tells me that these challenges — about technology, innovation, and fairness — resonate with the broader educational community. It reminds me that I am part of a shared commitment to addressing these challenges and building a better, more equitable educational future for all learners in the era of rapidly advancing AI.”

Jiang’s work has been featured in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as The Nation’s Report card, and helped open new areas of research as well as evidence-based guidelines for responsible use of AI detection tools, helping educators and policymakers find new footing as technology continues to alter the educational landscape.  

“I’ve always been inspired by the stories of HGSE alumni, especially past Alumni Council Award recipients who have made lasting, meaningful contributions and continue to transform education in bold and thoughtful ways,” says Jiang. “To be recognized alongside them is both humbling and deeply encouraging. HGSE has long stood for reimagining what’s possible in education, and being honored by this community of educators, scholars, and changemakers, who have been both peers and sources of inspiration, means so much to me.”