Laura Perna, Penn’s vice provost for faculty and the Centennial Presidential Professor of Education in the Graduate School of Education, has been selected for the inaugural class of fellows of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE). The fellowship, which was created in honor of ASHE’s 50th anniversary, celebrates scholars’ “integrity, advancement of knowledge, mentoring, and service.” 

“This recognition is deeply meaningful to me, as ASHE has been my scholarly home since my time as a doctoral student,” said Vice Provost Perna. “Over these past 30 years, ASHE has provided invaluable opportunities to advance my research through presentations and rich discussions, and to build a network of colleagues, collaborators, and friends. It’s been a privilege to work alongside so many ASHE members—receiving thoughtful feedback, mentoring and being mentored, and contributing through committee service and leadership, including as president. The community has shaped my scholarship and my career in profound ways.”

Twenty-five scholars from across the country have been selected for the honor, gathered from open nominations. The criteria included research and professional integrity; consistent advancement of knowledge through research, policy and/or practice; active and consistent mentorship of emerging scholars; and sustained and meaningful service to ASHE in various roles. 

Vice Provost Perna is an expert in college access, affordability, and success, especially for low-income, first-generation, and non-traditional students. She has served as president of ASHE, is the co-founder of Penn GSE’s Alliance for Higher Education and Democracy (Penn AHEAD), and has testified before Congress and advised university leaders and federal policymakers. 

“Few people are as deserving as Laura to be an inaugural ASHE Fellow,” said Jeremy Wright-Kim, an assistant professor at the Marsal School of Education at the University of Michigan, a former student of Vice Provost Perna’s, and one of her nominators. “She has made demonstrable advancements in our thinking about higher education equity, access, and policy through decades of rigorous empirical work, while generously uplifting the burgeoning researchers around her to establish their own scholarly identities. She has held the highest leadership positions in our field, including the ASHE presidency, and continues to serve in countless ways. And most importantly, she has done so with great integrity by following through with her commitments and showing up for those in need. I was lucky to learn from her while at Penn, and I’m even luckier to count her as a colleague now.” 

The inaugural fellows were celebrated at an event during the ASHE 2025 Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado.