Yong Zhao has dedicated his research to bridging technology and the educational process.
His work has now been recognized by the American Educational Research Association.
Zhao, an associate professor for the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education, was awarded the Raymond B. Cattell Early Career Award for Programmatic Research.
The award is given to a scholar responsible for creating a program related to their research.
Zhao said he feels honored to receive the award because it is not always handed out on a yearly basis.
"It shows a lot about what MSU can do by providing me with a space to do this kind of work," he said.
Recipients are nominated without their knowledge and a committee from the association makes the final decision.
Robert Boruch, chairperson of the committee, said Zhao has good intuition.
"(He) has the virtues of talent and industry," Boruch said.
Zhao established an after-school program for 20 Michigan middle schools which allows students to have a hands-on experience with computers. The program is called Kids Learning in Computer Klubhouses, also known as KLICK!, and was funded by a $8.2-million grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
"Now everybody is talking about investing in technology," Zhao said. "The digital divide is creating a gap with modern technology that could bring educational benefits."
Zhao also is making sure teachers are well-equipped to educate their students on how to use computers.
"If students have access but the teachers don't, they can't make use of them," he said.
Computers allow students to have a good teacher no matter whether they're in rural or inner-city areas, Zhao said.
"The best teachers are the human teachers," he said. "But it's impossible to have good teachers everywhere."
Another colleague of Zhao's from the College of Education received an award from the association.
BetsAnn Smith, assistant professor for the Department of Educational Administration, was awarded with the Palmer O. Johnson Memorial Award. The award is given to the author of a recognized article from the association sponsored publication.
Smith could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
