Awards and Recognition

Since 1946, AIR has been building bridges between knowledge and action by conducting research, providing technical assistance, and informing policy. 

Our mission to generate and use rigorous evidence that contributes to a better, more equitable world begins with our people and projects. 

Organizations have recognized this by honoring our expertise, commitment to corporate social responsibility, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

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Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion

AIR was recognized as a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” by the Disability Equality Index for the second consecutive year. The Disability Equity Index is a nationwide benchmarking tool that measures how businesses are advancing workplace inclusion and assessing areas of growth and improvement to make a positive impact.

• 2022 Best Place to Work

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Diversity MBA’s “50 Out Front: Best Places to Work for Women and Diverse Managers"

AIR ranked tenth among employers that are creating meaningful career opportunities for women and people of color, up from 15 in 2022. Diversity MBA, a national leadership organization that integrates diversity and inclusion with talent management, has recognized AIR’s continued progress to retaining and developing a diverse workforce.

• 2021 Best Place to Work

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Seramount Top 75 Companies for Executive Women

AIR has been named one of the “Top 75 Companies for Executive Women” by Seramount for the third consecutive year. The designation recognizes companies’ commitment and support of women’s advancement, with a focus on recruitment and retention, greater equity in pay, and succession planning at the senior-most levels.

• 2022 Best Place to Work
• 2021 Best Place to Work

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Corporate Social Responsibility and Diversity Awards 

AIR was recognized alongside Fortune 500 companies in Ragan Communications and PR Daily’s annual list as a finalist, which honors organizations that are instrumental in positively affecting communities. AIR’s Giving Tuesday campaign earned a spot as a finalist.

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Anthem Awards

AIR has won two Anthem Awards for its work operating the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center’s (MSKTC), which translates health information into easy-to-understand language and formats for people living with spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and burn injury and their families and caregivers. The Anthem Awards, presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, recognizes innovation in the work of mission-driven organizations committed to amplifying social impact causes that spark global change.

• 2022 Anthem Award

ASTRID Awards 

AIR was recently named a winner of the 2024 Astrid Awards by MerComm, an international awards organization dedicated to defining the standards of excellence in communications. The AIR-operated Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center’s (MSKTC)’s website won silver recognition in website redesign.

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MarCom Awards

The MarCom Awards honor creative achievement in marketing and communications and is one of the largest creative competitions in the world. AIR’s brochure on our work with displaced populations in humanitarian contexts received gold recognition for exceptional publication design and relevant communication in the nonprofit category.

Top Women in Communications Award from Ragan PR and PR Daily

AIR Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer Makini Nyanteh received the Top Women in Communications Award. Nyanteh was recognized in the “Bridge Builder” category for her ability to bring people together and work in pursuit of AIR’s mission. 

Astrid Award for Excellence in Communications

AIR was named a winner of the 2022 Astrid Awards by MerComm, an international awards organization dedicated to defining the standards of excellence in communications. AIR's website won honors in website redesign, and the time-lapse video of a portrait of Melissa Hafner, produced by AIR's Rick Burks for our series, won bronze in design.

dotComm Awards

AIR was named a winner of the 2022 dotCOMM Awards, honoring excellence in web creativity and digital communication. AIR's website received the gold award for exceptional website redesign among more than 2,500 entries.

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AIR Institute Fellows Doug and Lynn Fuchs Receive Council for Exceptional Children Leadership Award

The Council for Exceptional Children Convention (CEC’s) Division for Learning Disabilities presented the Jeannette Fleischner Career Leadership Award to AIR Institute Fellows Doug Fuchs and Lynn Fuchs for their outstanding contributions to the field of special education. The award recognizes individuals who have advanced the field of learning disabilities through direct services, policy development, community service, research, or organizational leadership throughout their careers.

AIR Experts Recognized for 2021 JREE Outstanding Article award

The work of five AIR experts (Mengli Song, Andrew J. Wayne, Michael S. Garet, Seth Brown, and Jordan Rickles) gained recognition with the 2021 Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness (JREE) Outstanding Article award for their article, Impact of Providing Teachers and Principals with Performance Feedback on Their Practice and Student Achievement: Evidence from a Large-Scale, Randomized Experiment.

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Roddy Theobald Wins the 2022 AEFP Early Career Award

In 2022, Roddy Theobald was the recipient of the Early Career award from the Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP). Each year, AEFP recognizes one outstanding early career scholar whose research makes a significant contribution to the field of education finance and policy.

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Joshua Polanin Receives Campbell Collaboration's Robert Boruch Award

Joshua R. Polanin won the Robert Boruch Award for Distinctive Contributions to Research that Informs Public Policy from the Campbell Collaboration. He has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles; 25 presented the results from a systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIR Institute Fellows Doug and Lynn Fuchs Receive McGraw Prize in Education

AIR Institute Fellows Doug Fuchs and Lynn Fuchs were awarded the 2021 Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education and the McGraw Family Foundation. The Fuchs helped establish Data-Based Individualization as one of the most respected approaches to instructing students with serious learning disabilities.