Baran honored with award from Online Learning Consortium

Evrim Baran, professor and Helen LeBaron Hilton Chair in the School of Education, has earned national recognition for her innovative research in online learning. At the Online Learning Consortium’s November conference, Baran received the Karen J. Swan Online Learning Journal (OLJ) Outstanding Research Achievement Award.

The Online Learning Consortium is a leading professional organization for digital and online education, and this award recognizes sustained scholarly contributions to the field of digital and online learning. Baran’s research, cited more than 12,000 times, explores human-centered approaches to technology integration, online learning design, and the role of emerging technologies—most recently artificial intelligence—in shaping teaching and learning. Her work also examines how educators adapt and innovate in digital environments.

The late Karen J. Swan, a founding member of the Online Learning Consortium, was a prominent scholar whose work continues to influence online education. Her scholarship has influenced Baran’s research and continues to have a lasting impact on the discipline.

“To be recognized in Karen Swan’s name is both humbling and emotional,” Baran said. “It reinforces my belief in the power of thoughtful, human-centered research to shape not just ideas, but the people and communities we serve. I am truly humbled by this recognition of my own research and its impact.”

Baran also recently accepted a senior associate editor role with the OLJ, one of the leading academic publications in digital and online education.

“In this role, I hope to help elevate high-quality scholarship, broaden interdisciplinary perspectives, and support emerging researchers whose work focuses on human-centered, ethical, and transformative uses of technology in education,” she said. “I am particularly committed to fostering rigorous research on AI and online learning.”

With this recognition and new editorial role, Baran’s work will continue to advance online learning in ways that prioritize people, not just technology.