Taylor Odle, a researcher at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) and an assistant professor of educational policy studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s School of Education, has received a 2026 Early Career Award from the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE).

The award recognizes early-career professionals who have shown exceptional promise and made impactful contributions early in their professional journey in education research. Recipients are recognized at the SREE conference, which was held this year on Sept. 23–26 in Baltimore, MD.

Odle studies the economics of education and education policy, with a particular focus on improving college access and success. His research examines structural barriers in higher education and evaluates scalable solutions to reduce racial and socioeconomic inequality. His work is widely published, and he has helped shape education policy in over a dozen states.

“My research is driven by The Wisconsin Idea, which calls us to do work that matters in the everyday lives of folks across the country,” said Odle. “I’m deeply grateful to SREE for recognizing this impact and to my colleagues at UW–Madison for providing such tremendous support.”

Odle’s most widely recognized project is one of the nation’s largest education experiments, piloting direct admissions and financial aid in Tennessee through a partnership between UW–Madison and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.

“[Odle’s] work exemplifies the kind of rigorous, relevant research we strive to advance in WCER and UW–Madison’s School of Education,” said Mariana Castro, interim director of WCER. “He is asking important questions about how policies and systems shape students’ opportunities, while producing evidence that can help decision-makers improve those systems. This recognition from SREE is a wonderful acknowledgment of both the quality and the real-world relevance of his work.”

This is Odle’s second early-career honor in 2026. Earlier this year, he received the Early Career Award from the Association for Education Finance and Policy. His previous honors also include being named one of the top RHSU Edu-Scholars in the country and the 2023 Raymond Vernon Memorial Award from the Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management.