AERA, the American Educational Research Association, will honor Ray McDermott, professor of education, at its annual meeting in San Francisco April 27 through May 1.

McDermott has been chosen to receive a lifetime achievement award for distinguished contributions to social contexts in education research. He also is scheduled on April 30 to deliver the keynote address to the AERA's Division G, the organization's section devoted to the social contexts of education. His talk, "Changing Borders: Relocating Race, Ethnicity, and Class," will concern how the dynamics of power along racial and ethnic borders affect access to educational opportunity. In addition to McDermott, David Labaree and Sean Reardon, both on the faculty of the Graduate School of Education, are being honored this year by AERA.

McDermott, an anthropologist whose 45-year career in education began as a classroom teacher in New York City, joined the GSE faculty in 1989. Much of his recent research has been centered on the intersection of education, social structure and political economy. He takes a broad interest in the analysis of human communication, the organization of school success and failure, and the history and use of various literacies around the world. His work includes studies of inner-city public schools, after-school classrooms, and the function of information technologies in different cultures.

The lifetime achievement award will be presented during a session at 6:15 p.m. on April 28 at the Hilton Union Square. McDermott's keynote address to the members of AERA Division G will be at 2 p.m. on April 30 at the Westin St. Francis. Registration is required to attend the conference.