Celebrating the 2024 David G. Imig Distinguished Service  Award Winners: Dr. Matthew Militello and Dr. Margaret “Terry” Orr

We are thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2024 Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) Imig Award! This prestigious award recognizes educational faculty at CPED member institutions who have made outstanding contributions to advancing the mission of CPED, particularly in preparing scholarly-practitioners to use research and collaboration to improve educational outcomes. The David G. Imig Distinguished Service Award is presented in recognition of an individual who has demonstrated important contributions to the Vision and Mission of CPED while reclaiming the EdD as the highest quality professional practice doctorate in education.

This year’s honorees, Dr. Matthew Militello, East Carolina University, and Dr. Margaret “Terry” Orr, Fordham University, exemplify this mission through their commitment to leadership within the CPED network, their work in EdD program design, their teaching and advising aligned with the CPED Framework, and their scholarship that enhances the understanding and implementation of the CPED Framework.

Matthew Militello, PhD 

Wells Fargo Distinguished Professor in Educational Leadership, East Carolina University
Read more about Dr. Militello here

Dr. Matthew Militello, a long-standing member of CPED, has consistently contributed to the development and strengthening of the CPED community and its mission to transform EdD programs. From 2014 to 2016, Dr. Militello served as a Senior Research Fellow for CPED, where he shared his expertise and passion for cultivating EdD program designs specifically tailored to develop scholarly practitioners. His ongoing participation in CPED convenings and events has not only contributed to the advancement of educational leadership but has also directly influenced the improvement of EdD programs across the network.

In his book, Cultivating School Change from Within, Dr. Militello draws from an impressive 77 EdD dissertations, offering CPED members a comprehensive view of how internal school leadership can drive meaningful change. This connection between scholarship and practice reflects CPED’s vision for EdD programs and demonstrates how advisors can support the development of scholarly practitioner work within the CPED framework.

One of Dr. Militello’s most notable achievements includes securing a SEED grant to support 30 students in earning their EdD degrees, a significant contribution to CPED’s goal of expanding access to quality educational leadership programs. He has also brought numerous EdD students to CPED convenings and events, fostering a new generation of educational leaders committed to the CPED model. His unwavering dedication to advancing the mission of CPED continues to have a lasting impact on students, schools, and communities. This recognition reflects his profound influence on CPED’s growth and his commitment to the development of its scholarly practitioner model.

Margaret “Terry” Orr, PhD

Professor of Educational Leadership, Administration, and Policy, Fordham University
Read more about Dr. Orr here

Dr. Margaret “Terry” Orr has built an extraordinary career spanning over 30 years, dedicated to researching and preparing educational leaders. With over 9,000 citations to her name, Dr. Orr’s scholarly contributions have been instrumental in shaping the role of EdD programs and fostering the growth of scholarly practitioners. Her work consistently advocates for bridging the gap between research and practice to improve educational leadership. As a result, the Fordham EdD program has flourished and had an impact in local schools.

Since 2017, Dr. Orr has coordinated a remarkable partnership with Bronx and surrounding school districts through the Improvement Leadership Education and Development (iLEAD) initiative. This partnership, formed in collaboration with the Carnegie Foundation and CPED, continues to serve as a model for how universities and schools can work together to develop innovative leaders prepared to tackle today’s educational challenges. Dr. Orr has consistently presented her learning at CPED convenings and events and she has chaired a CPED Dissertation in Practice of the Year award.

Congratulations to these two exceptional CPED members for their dedication to empowering educational leaders to become impactful scholarly practitioners through their leadership, teaching, advising, and scholarship. Dr. Militello and Dr. Orr have been recognized for their significant contributions to advancing the Vision and Mission of CPED, particularly in reclaiming the EdD as the highest quality professional practice doctorate in education. Their commitment to leadership within the CPED network, EdD program design, and the CPED Framework has left a lasting impact on students, schools, and communities.

We will honor Dr. Militello and Dr. Orr for their outstanding achievements at the #CPED2024 Convening in Hawai’i, where they will receive the David G. Imig Distinguished Service Award.