CLS Program Faculty member Christopher Saldaña was honored this semester with a Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship from the National Academy of Education. The fellowship supports early career scholars working in critical areas of education research. In addition to a monetary award, the fellowship will offer Prof. Saldaña to participate in professional development retreats with distinguished education scholars and pair him with a senior faculty mentor during the 2026-2027 academic year. This highly competitive award annually identifies and supports 25 of the most exceptional researchers conducting postdoctoral studies relevant to education, according to the Academy. An assistant professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, Prof. Saldaña has also published several articles recently in journals including Educational Administration Quarterly, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, and the Journal of Education, Finance, and Law.