The Leo D. Doherty Memorial Award is given to a NERA member who exemplifies the qualities that Leo Doherty brought to NERA members, his colleagues, and students over his longstanding career. The award, instituted by the NERA Board of Directors in 1981, honors the memory of Leo Doherty. He was instrumental in the development and growth of NERA as a professional association for educational research. His leadership qualities, which were both ethical and humane, encouraged others to pursue and achieve their goals.

The recipient of the 2011 Leo D. Doherty Award is David M. Moss. Dr. Moss has demonstrated the characteristics of Leo Doherty in numerous ways. He received his Ph.D. in Education at the University of New Hampshire in 1998, and has been a faculty member in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction of the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut since that time.

Many scholars initially attend NERA to present their research and to network with colleagues in related fields. Perhaps they get hooked on the intellectual community that NERA offers and eventually become active in the behind-the-scenes committee life that forms the rich infrastructure of this organization. Dr. Moss first attended NERA in 1994 and was immediately tapped for service as Chair of the Woollatt Distinguished Paper Award Committee. He never looked back.

In subsequent years he chaired and served on numerous committees and was elected to the Board of Directors for a three year term (2000-2003). In 2001 he served double duty as the Program Co-chair and was responsible for relocating the conference to a new venue. He remained very active with NERA and was elected President in 2008. Striking a balance between tradition and innovation, he has been integral in the development and implementation of many of the aspects of NERA that we now see as routine, such as: on-line conference paper submissions, formal conference proceedings, institutional support for our annual conference, and electronic voting for our annual elections.

Beyond the context of NERA Dr. Moss is an award winning scholar and teacher. He has been invited to deliver several keynote addresses (Science Education at the Crossroads & New England Philosophy of Education Society) along with numerous invited addresses, including most recently at the Society for International Education (NAFSA). He has presented nearly 100 original research papers at regional, national, and international conferences over the span of his career. Dr. Moss has authored over 60 articles, book chapters, and reviews on such topics as international teacher education, student understandings of the nature of science, and interdisciplinary education. His published books include Critical Essays on Resistance in Education (Peter Lang, 2010), Interdisciplinary Education in an Age of Assessment (Routledge, 2008), Portrait of a Profession: Teachers and Teaching in the 21st Century (Praeger, 2005), and Beyond the Boundaries: A Transdisciplinary Approach to Learning and Teaching (Praeger, 2003). Dr. Moss has also been named a University of Connecticut Teaching Fellow, which is the highest honor for instructional excellence and leadership across the university.

His current research interests are in the areas of culturally responsive teaching, teacher education reform, and environmental education. He also directs the UConn study abroad program in London, England where he mentors and advises a cohort of about a dozen graduate-level teacher interns each autumn. He describes this work as among his most professionally challenging and fulfilling.

Dr. Moss is currently serving NERA on an ad hoc committee of former Directors and Presidents who are advising the Board of Directors and Executive Officers on critical issues facing our organization. He also contributes to NERA as a leader, mentor, and friend. He is a creative thinker, and provides wisdom and wit, all of which greatly benefit NERA and its membership. Dr. Moss has described his longstanding service to NERA and our profession as "The best job you can have to make a real impact with others-and not have to wear a necktie everyday..."