Vinovskis will give Russel lecture March 9

Serving multiple roles as a teacher, researcher, and adviser to Congress and the U.S. Department of Education, Maris Vinovskis has made his mark as an expert on the history of education in the United States. In recognition of this, Vinovskis has been awarded the 2004 Henry Russel Lectureship.

(Photo by Marcia Ledford, U-M Photo Services)

The lectureship is awarded annually in recognition of a scholar's exceptional achievement in research and scholarship and outstanding record of teaching, mentoring and service. It is one of the highest honors the University gives to senior faculty members. This year's lecture will be at 4 p.m. March 9 in the Rackham Amphitheatre.

Vinovskis, Bentley Professor of History and a professor in the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and the Center for Political Studies, describes the lectureship as an unexpected honor. "I'm surprised and delighted the University has picked me," he says.

Vinovskis's lecture will look at the efforts of the federal government, from the Reagan administration through the current Bush administration, to help disadvantaged children succeed in school.

"I will talk about the efforts made by the administrations, then reflect on how effective these have been in achieving their goals," he says.

Vinovskis has worked with Democratic and Republican administrations in Washington, D.C., presenting 12 reports to Congress and the Department of Education over the years. He also has served the University in a variety of capacities, including chairman of the Department of History for three years and a member of the LSA Executive Committee.

"I am equally proud to have the opportunity to serve the University and to have had a chance to work with different administrations in Washington," Vinovskis says.

Much of Vinovskis's research utilizes the concept of the "life course." In his analysis, he focuses on the lives of individuals, within their familial and societal surroundings, and embedded in the historical context in which they lived.

The diversity of Vinovskis's research can be found in the 17 books and more than 100 articles and essays he has published. His books include "Fertility in Massachusetts from the Revolution to the Civil War," "Origins of Public High Schools," "An Epidemic' of Adolescent Pregnancy?" and "History and Educational Policymaking."

Vinovskis was awarded a Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship in 1973 and a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1981 for a project entitled "Death and Dying in Civil War America." He is an elected member of the National Academy of Education and the International Academy of Education.