Posted on February 28, 2025 by childrenslearninginstitute
Each year, the President’s Awards for Leadership recognize exceptional leaders from across UTHealth Houston who demonstrate consistent leadership through service, compassion, and ethical standards.
Since its inception, 47 people have been honored with the distinction. Winners are nominated by their peers, evaluated by a committee, and selected by Giuseppe N. Colasurdo, MD, president and Alkek-Williams Distinguished Chair.
Five 2024 awardees were announced and recognized on Feb. 26 during the annual STAR Awards luncheon. Celebrating 25 years of service at UTHealth Houston, April Crawford, PhD, was recognized for her extensive contributions and accomplishments as this year’s Outstanding Faculty Award recipient.
President’s Award for Leadership: Outstanding Faculty
Crawford serves as co-director of the Children’s Learning Institute at McGovern Medical School. In this role, she directs vast and varied partnerships and programs that encompass the institute’s Texas State Initiatives. She additionally oversees the operations of statewide collaborative and affiliate offices. She strives to elevate early education through improved policies and practices.
Crawford directs state-funded initiatives in Texas to strengthen early childhood systems through partnerships and programs, including the statewide preschool professional development program known as Texas School Ready, the Texas Early Childhood Professional Development System, and the Texas Infant-Toddler Specialist Network.
Crawford also oversees the statewide operations of the Texas Head Start State Collaborative Office and Reach Out and Read-Texas. Crawford was appointed to the Texas Early Learning Council in 2019 by Governor Greg Abbott.
“UTHealth Houston has truly been a wonderful and inspiring place to work for the last 25 years,” Crawford said. “I’m so grateful to work with an incredible team of people that every day demonstrate collaboration, leadership, and commitment to doing challenging work in our efforts to serve young kids, their families, and educators across the state. I’m very humbled to have been nominated and selected for this award by my colleagues and peers.”
