News in Brief: Jim Soland Receives Outstanding Faculty Award

The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and Dominion Energy announced Dec. 16 that James Soland Jr., an associate professor of research, statistics and evaluation in UVA’s School of Education and Human Development, is among 12 statewide recipients of 2025 Outstanding Faculty Awards.

Soland, designated as a “Rising Star” winner for early career achievement, is an affiliated research fellow at NWEA, an assessment nonprofit. His research focuses on educational measurement, practice and policy, with emphasis on how measurement decisions impact our understanding of student development. Before joining UVA, Soland received a doctorate in educational psychology from Stanford University with a concentration in measurement. He has been a classroom teacher, a policy analyst at the RAND Corporation and a senior policy analyst for the California legislature.

"I’m incredibly honored to receive this award from SCHEV, which recognizes people not just for their research output, but also for their teaching, mentoring, and service," Soland said. "As a methodologist, I see the scholarly and educational facets of my work as one and the same. I also share the recognition with the EHD community including my colleagues, who have supported me from day one and set me up for success, and the outstanding students, who make the job worth doing.”

The awards, first given in 1987, recognize faculty at Virginia’s institutions of higher learning who exemplify the highest standards of teaching, scholarship and service. Each winner will receive a $7,500 gift from Dominion Energy at a March 4 ceremony in Richmond.

Institutions select nominees for a panel of peers to review. A committee of leaders from the public and private sectors selects the final recipients. This year, the program received 83 nominations.