2025 AECT Fellows Announced
October 7, 2025
The Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) proudly announces the third annual AECT Fellows for 2025: Dr. Thomas (Tom) C. Reeves, Professor Emeritus of Learning, Design, and Technology at the University of Georgia, and Dr. Ali Carr-Chellman, Incoming Kuntz Family Chair in Educational Leadership and Professor at the University of Dayton.
The AECT Fellows program honors members with exemplary accomplishments in educational communications and technology, recognizing leaders whose scholarship, service, and mentorship have made a lasting impact on the field.
“It is wonderful news to hear that both Dr. Tom Reeves and Dr. Ali Carr-Chellman were selected as AECT Fellows,” stated AECT President-Elect Dr. Chris Miller. “Both are not only accomplished scholars in the field but also strong leaders within AECT. We are excited to see such talented people recognized and look forward to their upcoming activities with the membership.”
About Dr. Thomas (Tom) C. Reeves
Dr. Reeves is Professor Emeritus of Learning, Design, and Technology in the Mary Frances Early College of Education at The University of Georgia. A Fulbright Lecturer in Peru, he has given invited presentations and workshops in the USA and more than 30 countries. He is the former editor of the Journal of Interactive Learning Research and author or co-author of more than 200 scholarly papers and seven books.
His research interests include educational design research, authentic online learning, and improving medical and public health education. His work has been cited nearly 36,000 times, placing him among the top two percent of most-cited scientists in the world.
One of his most influential publications, Conducting Educational Design Research (with Susan McKenney, 2nd ed., Routledge, 2019), has been cited nearly 4,000 times and has guided countless doctoral dissertations and master’s theses internationally.
An AECT member since 1975, Reeves served as an AECT Intern in 1978 and has remained deeply engaged with the organization. He and his wife, Dr. Patricia M. Reeves, are establishing a scholarship fund at the University of Georgia to support doctoral student travel to present at AECT or AERA conferences.
“Tom has been one of the kindest and most brilliant mentors of our field,” reflected AECT President Tonia Dousay. “Even after his retirement in 2012, his influence has continued to shape my work as both a faculty member and now as an administrator.”
About Dr. Ali Carr-Chellman
Dr. Carr-Chellman is Incoming Kuntz Family Chair in Educational Leadership and Professor at the University of Dayton. An accomplished instructional designer with more than 30 years of practice in human performance improvement, she has authored six books, 120 articles, secured more than $8 million in external funding, and her work has been cited over 13,000 times. She has been an invited keynote speaker throughout the United States and internationally in New Zealand, China, Korea, Taiwan, Poland, and Norway.
This year, she co-edited the 5th edition of Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology (with Bob Reiser and Jack Dempsey, 2025), which won both the AECT RTD Outstanding Book Award and the Brown Award.
Her AECT leadership spans decades: she co-founded the Systems Thinking and Change Division, served as AECT President (2020–2021), and has represented the association at conferences and events across the globe, including in China, Qatar, and Japan. She was appointed to the Fulbright Roster in 2025 and continues to explore international collaborations in AI applications for education and healthcare.
“Ali has been a treasured mentor throughout my career,” said AECT President Tonia Dousay. “Her vision, advocacy, and mentorship have influenced countless educators, and I am proud to see her named an AECT Fellow.”
Dr. Carr-Chellman's career has centered on inclusive, engaging, and future-focused learning environments, and she continues to serve as a mentor, scholar, and leader in advancing ethical applications of educational technology.
Fellows Recognition at AECT25
Dr. Reeves and Dr. Carr-Chellman will be formally recognized during the membership meeting at the 2025 AECT International Convention on October 22, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada. AECT officers and leadership will provide organizational updates and honor the new Fellows during this event. “The membership meeting and awards ceremony will be a highlight of this year’s convention,” said AECT CEO Nolan Gruver. “The fellows’ careers embody AECT’s values of scholarship, mentorship, and global impact.”
About the Association for Educational Communication and Technology (AECT)
AECT is an international organization that values diversity of thought, culture, and people whose activities are directed toward improving learning. AECT members may be found in colleges and universities; in the Armed Forces and industry; in museums, libraries, and hospitals; and in any other places where educational change takes place. AECT members include instructional designers, researchers, professors and teachers, educational technologists, and other professionals united by a passion for improving teaching and learning with technology.