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Rissler Receives Award for Paper

Grant Rissler receives his award from Peter Wallenstein, professor of history at Virginia Tech.

The Virginia Social Science Association has honored Grant Rissler, a doctoral candidate in the Public Policy and Administration program at the Wilder School, with the 2017 Henry J. Abraham Graduate Student Paper Award for his paper titled, “Predictors of Public Policy Preferences Toward English Language Learners.”

The award is given to the best paper submitted and presented by a graduate student at the Virginia Social Science Association’s Annual Conference, which was hosted this year by Virginia Commonwealth University. The VSSA is the oldest association of academics in Virginia.

Rissler’s paper drew on data from the 2015-16 Commonwealth Education Poll conducted by the Commonwealth Educational Policy Institute, where he works as assistant director for programs. CEPI is part of the Center for Public Policy in the Wilder School.

“Grant is an outstanding student and key contributor to the Commonwealth Educational Policy Institute who continues to bring distinction to the Wilder School,” said Robyn McDougle, Ph.D., associate professor and interim director of CEPI. “We are glad his work was recognized by such an important group.”