HGSE Announces Four Named Chairs

Dean Nonie Lesaux has announced four faculty members have been awarded named faculty chairs, retroactively effective July 1, 2025: Karen Mapp, the William and Miriam Meehan Professor in Adult Learning and Professional Development; Jal Mehta, the Gregory R. Anrig Professorship of Educational Leadership; Jon Star, the Carl H. Pforzheimer, Jr. Professor of Teaching and Learning; and Paola Uccelli, the John H. and Elizabeth A. Hobbs Professor Cognition and Education.

“Karen Mapp, Paola Uccelli, Jon Star, and Jal Mehta are field-leading scholars making remarkable impacts on their field," says Lesaux. "Whether improving childhood literacy outcomes, improving student understanding of algebra concepts, studying the intricacies of language learning, and supporting educators as they improve student outcomes through family engagement work, these faculty members continue to innovate and advance the educational landscape in measurable and positive ways. It's an honor to recognize their work with these endowed chairs.”

Professor of Practice Karen Mapp

Karen Mapp has been named the William and Miriam Meehan Professor in Adult Learning and Professional Development, a chair formerly held by Robert Kegan, professor of practice, emeritus, until his retirement in 2016. The chair establishes a permanently endowed senior professorship in the field of adult learning and professional development. Mapp is a national leader in school, family, and community partnerships, seeing a broad uptake of her ideas and practices at the federal, state, and district levels. Mapp’s Dual-Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships — developed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Education — has influenced policy and practice at all levels of the American education system.

Professor Jal Mehta

The Gregory R. Anrig Professorship of Educational Leadership is a permanently endowed chair established to support a senior faculty chair in educational leadership, formerly held by Deborah Jewell-Sherman until her retirement in 2023. Mehta’s work as a sociologist has studied the key levers for improvement at different levels of the educational system, including historical, institutional, curricular, and policy factors, making him an expert in educational structures. His work explores how industrial-era schooling systems can be transformed into more effective, modern learning organizations to promote better outcomes for students.

Professor Jon Star

The Carl H. Pforzheimer, Jr. Professor of Teaching and Learning was previously held by Richard Light, who retired from teaching in 2024. Star’s work sits at the intersection of cognitive psychology and mathematics education. A former middle and high school math and computer science teacher, his classroom experience has seen him advocate for students’ better understanding of algebra and helped him frame the debate within math education about whether students should be expected to acquire conceptual knowledge or a mastery of procedures. At HGSE, Star helped launch the Ph.D. in Education, and helped design a new Ed.M. program in Teacher Leadership and Learning.

Professor Paola Uccelli 

The John H. and Elizabeth A. Hobbs Professor Cognition and Education is an endowed professorship to advance the study of human cognition, human intelligences, and other aspects of human development. The chair was previously held by Catherine Snow until her retirement from teaching earlier this year. Uccelli, a linguist, studies differences in multilingual and monolingual students’ language development. Her research identifies high-utility language skills and resources which support reading and writing in schools. By focusing on children who find academic language particularly challenging, Uccelli has identified specific language-based difficulties in student populations, pioneering testing practices and earning grants to further this work in multiple countries.