Congratulations to Prudence Carter on being chosen to receive the 2026 Teachers College Medal for Distinguished Service from Teachers College, Columbia University for her remarkable contributions to the fields of sociology and education. This award is Teachers College's highest honor and Dr. Carter will be joining a distinguished list of past honorees, including Coretta Scott King, Donna Shalala, Jill Biden, John Lewis, and Margaret Mead. Dr. Carter's distinguished career places her among the foremost leaders in education today, thanks to her acclaimed research on educational and societal inequalities, particularly those rooted in race, ethnicity, class, and gender. Her award-winning works, including Keepin' It Real and Stubborn Roots, have deepened the understanding of the academic achievement disparities and the barriers to school integration in the U.S. and South Africa. She embodies the core mission of Teachers College: to create a smarter, healthier, and more equitable world.