Nancy Jordan Named CUSA 2026 Faculty Achievement Award Winner
Nancy Jordan was named the university's recipient of the Conference USA 2026 Faculty Achievement Award
Dr. Nancy Jordan, the Dean Family Endowed Chair of Education and professor of learning sciences in the School of Education at the University of Delaware College of Education and Human Development, was named the university’s recipient of the Conference USA (CUSA) 2026 Faculty Achievement Award, the league announced Thursday.
The awards program was established by the league’s presidents and chancellors to recognize exceptional contributions in teaching, research and service. Each of the 11 recipients will automatically become the institutional nominee for the CUSA Professor of the Year, which will be voted on by the institution’s provosts.
Jordan is a nationally recognized leader in mathematics education whose research has transformed understanding of early numeracy development. Her work has identified the critical role of number sense in student success and led to widely used assessment tools and interventions for at-risk learners. Dr. Jordan’s scholarship includes approximately 21,000 citations and an h-index of 58, along with more than $20 million in funding from organizations including the National Science Foundation and the Institute of Education Sciences. Her work has earned top honors, including recognition as an American Educational Research Association Fellow, Association for Psychological Science Fellow, member of the National Academy of Education and recipient of the Kauffman-Hallahan-Pullin Distinguished Researcher Award. Through decades of scholarship, she has shaped educational practice and policy, influencing how mathematics is taught at foundational levels while mentoring generations of students and researchers.
“Today, we honor an exceptional group of faculty members whose dedication to teaching, innovation in research, and service to their communities elevates the mission of higher education,” said Dr. Alisa White, the President of Sam Houston State University and the Chair of the CUSA Board of Directors. “The Faculty Achievement Awards reflect the meaningful and lasting contributions they bring to their institutions and beyond.”
The 2026 award recipients represent a diverse range of disciplines, including education, engineering, linguistics, political science, biology, music and public health. Collectively, they have produced influential scholarship, secured significant research funding, earned prestigious national and international honors and engaged broadly as thought leaders in their fields.
Article by Delaware Athletics. Graphic by Delaware Athletics.