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NORC Senior Fellow Larry Hedges Named 2018 Yidan Prize Winner for Education Research

Press Release

CHICAGO, Sept. 20, 2018 — Larry Hedges, a NORC at the University of Chicago senior fellow and internationally renowned applied statistician, has been announced as a recipient of the 2018 Yidan Prize for Education Research. The announcement was made on Saturday in Hong Kong by the Yidan Prize Foundation.

Each year the Yidan Prize recognizes two laureates with a HK$30 million award each for their outstanding contributions to education research and development. This is the equivalent of a $3.9M (USD) award for both Dr. Hedges and his co-award recipient in Education Development, Anant Agarwal, founder of the online learning platform edX.

Hedges studies the use of statistics in education policy, ultimately enabling policymakers, educators, and the general public to observe the most effective approaches in the field of education. As co-principal investigator for NORC’s Center for Advancing Research and Communication in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, Hedges helps lay the groundwork for improving education for future generations. In addition to his work at NORC, Hedges is a professor of statistics, psychology, education, and medical social sciences at Northwestern University and a faculty fellow in its Institute for Policy Research.

The Yidan Prizes are the centerpiece of a HK$2.5 billion charitable foundation, which was established by Charles Chen Yidan. One of the co-founders of China’s biggest internet media company, Yidan retired in 2013 to dedicate more time to philanthropy, with a focus on education.


About NORC at the University of Chicago

NORC at the University of Chicago conducts research and analysis that decision-makers trust. As a nonpartisan research organization and a pioneer in measuring and understanding the world, we have studied almost every aspect of the human experience and every major news event for more than eight decades. Today, we partner with government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world to provide the objectivity and expertise necessary to inform the critical decisions facing society.

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Contact: For more information, please contact Eric Young at NORC at young-eric@norc.org or (703) 217-6814 (cell).