The International Citation of Merit is given biennially in even-numbered years to a person clearly visible through international activities in the field of literacy whose activities are for the benefit of countries other than, as well as, the nominee’s country.

This award is no longer available.  For more information, please contact the the Executive Office.

2010

Colin Harrison

Colin Harrison is Professor of Literacy Studies in Education in the University of Nottingham, UK. His first degree was in English and Philosophy, and he worked as a high school English teacher for several years before moving into reading research and teacher education. He was a founding editor and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Research in Reading (1981-84), and was President of the United Kingdom Reading Association from 1990-1. Since 1990, his work has increasingly focused on the relationship between literacy, technology and assessment. He has directed over 40 funded research projects, and has worked to develop literacy with doctoral students in Nigeria, Canada, France, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Greece and Ireland, as well as the UK and US. He has been Visiting Professor at Virginia Tech (1986) and the University of Texas at Austin (2007), and has led an Internet-based RealeBooks project linking elementary schools in Austin and Nottingham for each of the past five years. He was elected to the Reading Hall of Fame in 2003, and was the recipient of the Albert J. Kingston Award of the National Reading Conference in 2005.