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Executive Leadership

Mariana Souto-Manning

President, Erikson Institute

Education
  • Ph.D. in Language Education, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA
  • M.Ed., Early Childhood Education at The University of Georgia, Athens, GA
  • B.S. Ed., Early Childhood Special Education (major), Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (minor) The University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Area of Expertise
  • Early Childhood Education
  • Immigrant Education
  • Literacy
  • Teacher Education
Professional Highlights
  • 2022-2025 Vice President, American Educational Research Association (AERA) Division K (Teaching and Teacher Education); 2021-22 (Vice President-Elect).
  • 2022 The CAFÉ (Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education) Women in Leadership
  • 2021-present, Member, International Advisory Board, Global Childhoods Research Centre University of Auckland, New Zealand.
  • 2020 Distinguished Mid-Career Researcher Alumni Award. Presented by the University of Georgia.
  • 2019-present, Member, The International Research Network on Equity in Education Dublin City University, Republic of Ireland.
  • 2018-present, Member, International Advisory Board, Early Childhood Research Centre, Dublin City University, Republic of Ireland.
  • 2017 AERA Teaching and Teacher Education (Division K) Mid-Career Award.
  • 2016 Critics Choice Book Award for Reading, writing, and talk: Inclusive teaching strategies for diverse learners, K-2 (with co-author Jessica Martell). Presented by the American Educational Studies Association (AESA).
  • 2016 Dean’s Faculty Diversity Research Award. Presented by Teachers College, Columbia University.
  • See More Professional Highlights

 

Recent Publications

Books

  • Souto-Manning, M. (Ed.). (2020). In the pursuit of justice: Students’ rights to read and write in elementary school. National Council of Teachers of English.
  • Bentley, D. F., & Souto-Manning, M. (2019). PreK stories: Playing with authorship and integrating curriculum in early childhood. Teachers College Press.
  • Souto-Manning, M., & Yoon, H. S. (2018). Reading and rewriting worlds: Rethinking early literacies. Routledge.
  • Souto-Manning, M., Lugo Llerena, C., Martell, J., Salas Maguire, A., & Arce-Boardman, A. (2018). No more culturally irrelevant teaching. Heinemann.

 

Edited Journal Entries

  • Souto-Manning, M. (Ed.). (2021). The Pandemic as Portal: On Transformative Ruptures and Possible Futures for Education. Bank Street Occasional Papers, 46.
  • Souto-Manning, M., & Stillman, J. (Eds.). (2020). Rethinking the preparation of teacher educators: Centering equity and justice. The New Educator, 16(1).
  • Souto-Manning, M., & Philip, T. (Eds.). (2019). Preparing asset, equity, and social justice oriented teachers within the contemporary political challenges to university-based teacher education. Teachers College Record, 121(6).
  • See More Books & Journal Entries

 

Articles

  • Souto-Manning, M., & Melvin, S. (in press). Early childhood teachers of color in New York City: Heightened stress, lower quality of life, declining health, and compromised sleep amidst COVID-19. Early Childhood Research Quarterly.
  • Rodriguez, V., Rojas, N., Rabadi-Raol, A., Souto-Manning, M., & Brotman, L. (in press). Silent expectations: An exploration of women pre-kindergarten teachers’ mental health and wellness during Covid-19 and beyond. Early Childhood Research Quarterly.
  • Souto-Manning, M. (in press). On the exploitation of cooperating teachers of color: Clinical practice as racial capitalism. Teaching and Teacher Education.
  • Souto-Manning, M. (in press). On the abolition of belonging as property: Toward justice for immigrant children and children of immigrants of color. Urban Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/00420859211017967
  • The Teacher of Color Collective & Souto-Manning, M. (2022). On the mis-education of teachers of Color: A letter to teacher educators. Journal of Teacher Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/00224871211057487
  • Souto-Manning, M., Martell, J., Pérez, A., & Pión, P. (2022). Translanguaging as norm: Rejecting narrow and restrictive notions of reading. The Reading Teacher. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2022
  • Souto-Manning, M. (2021). Critical race self-study: An abolitionist methodology. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359866X.2021.1980862
  • See More Articles

 

Recent Presentations

Invited Keynote Addresses

  • Souto-Manning, M. (2022, April). American Educational Research Association (AERA)
  • Souto-Manning, M. (2022, February). ESSA/Multilingual Illinois Conference Combined Keynote Address
  • Souto-Manning, M. (2022, February). NABE Keynote/National Association for Bilingual Education
  • Souto-Manning, M. (2022, January). Bank Street Library Salon #27 The Pandemic as a Portal to New Futures in Education
  • Souto-Manning, M. (2021, October). Northeastern Philosophy of Education Society Keynote Address
  • Souto-Manning, M. (2021, July). Let’s talk about literacy. Keynote Address delivered at the United Kingdom Literacy Association (UKLA) Conference. Online (scheduled for Oxford, England).
  • Souto-Manning, M. (2021, April). Teaching young children in the pursuit of justice: From microaggressions to racial microaffirmations. Plenary Address delivered at the International Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Education (RECE) Conference. Online (scheduled for Palestine).
  • Souto-Manning, M. (2021, April). Teaching in the pursuit of justice: Building curricular spaces for microaffirmations. Keynote Address delivered at the New York State My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Summit. Online.
  • Souto-Manning, M. (2021, February). Toward critically transformative possibilities in teacher education. Keynote Address delivered at the University of Maryland. Online (scheduled for College Park, MD).
  • Souto-Manning, M. (2021, February). Transformative justice in early childhood education. Keynote Address delivered at the Oregon Early Childhood Council. Online (scheduled for Portland, OR).
  • Souto-Manning, M. (2021, February). Damage, desire, harm, and healing: Important considerations for early childhood teacher educators. Keynote Address delivered at Portland State University. Online (scheduled for Portland, OR).
  • Souto-Manning, M. (2021, February). From diversity and inclusion to justice and belonging: Teaching young children in the pursuit of justice. Helen Gordon Keynote Address delivered at Portland State University. Online (scheduled for Portland, OR).

Conference Presentations (National)

  • Souto-Manning, M. (2021, April). Problematizing injustices, examining complicity, centering community, and doing the work: Educators as advocates for social justice. American Educational Research Association Meeting. Online (scheduled for Orlando, FL).
  • Souto-Manning, M. (2021, April). Decentering whiteness and monolingual/monoglossic ideologies, practices and identities in teacher education. American Educational Research Association Meeting. Online (scheduled for Orlando, FL).
  • Souto-Manning, M. (2021, April). Belonging as property and its politics of exclusion: Toward justice for immigrant children and families. American Educational Research Association Meeting. Online (scheduled for Orlando, FL).
  • Souto-Manning, M. (2021, April). Transforming pedagogy and practice: In the pursuit of justice for multilingual students of color. American Educational Research Association Meeting. Online (scheduled for Orlando, FL).
  • Souto-Manning, M. (2021, April). It’s our responsibility as teacher educators: Toward justice in Brazilian public schooling. American Educational Research Association Meeting. Online (scheduled for Orlando, FL).

Conference Presentations (International)

  • Souto-Manning, M. (2019, April). Moving our work into public spaces: Centering race, gender, and inequality in teacher education research. American Educational Research Association Meeting. Toronto, Canada.
  • Souto-Manning, M. (2019, April). What’s “core” to teacher education pedagogy: (Re)Considering the meaning of practice in teacher educator development. American Educational Research Association Meeting. Toronto, Canada.
  • Souto-Manning, M., Falk, B., Lopez, D., Bradt, N.K., Barros Cruz, L., Cardwell, N., McGowan, N., Perez, A.Y., Rabadi-Raol, A., & Rollins, E.R. (2019, April). A transdisciplinary approach to changing inequitable teaching practice in early childhood education. American Educational Research Association Meeting. Toronto, Canada.
  • See More Recent Presentations

 

Related Professional Experience

  • Professor of Early Childhood Education and Teacher Education 2021-present Erikson Institute, Chicago, IL
  • Professor of Early Childhood Education and Teacher Education 2019-2021 Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York
    • Founding Co-Director, Center for Innovation in Teacher Education and Development, CITED (2018-2021)
    • Director, Early Childhood Education Program (2013-2021)
    • Director, Integrated Early Childhood/Special Education Programs (2013-2021)
    • Director, Department of Curriculum & Teaching Doctoral Programs (2016-2020)
  • Guest Professor 2018-2021 Háskóli Íslands / University of Iceland Menntavísindasvið / School of Education Stakkahlíð, Reykjavík, Iceland (2018-2021)
  • See More Related Professional Experience
Mariana Souto-Manning, Ph.D., is the fifth President of Erikson Institute, a premier institution dedicated to advancing knowledge, practice, and policy in early childhood education, child development, and family well-being. A visionary leader, scholar, and advocate, she is driving Erikson’s transformation to align its mission, vision, and structure with strategic priorities that ensure long-term sustainability, research excellence, and workforce development. Under her leadership, Erikson is redefining its role in the early childhood landscape, preparing professionals to address urgent challenges facing young children, their families, and communities. With a focus on research-driven workforce development, policy engagement, and academic excellence, Dr. Souto-Manning is spearheading initiatives that position Erikson as a national leader in early childhood education, early intervention, mental health, and social work. Before joining Erikson, Dr. Souto-Manning was a Professor and Director of Early Childhood Education and Teacher Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. She has also held academic appointments at the University of Iceland and King’s College London and currently serves as an Honorary Research Professor at Teachers College. Her global impact is reflected in her work with research centers and universities across Australia, Brazil, Iceland, Ireland, and New Zealand. Nationally, she has served in leadership roles in major professional organizations, including as Chair of the National Council of Teachers of English Research Foundation and Vice President of Division K (Teaching and Teacher Education) at the American Educational Research Association (AERA). In Illinois, she co-led the Research, Data, and Evaluation Committee of the state’s Early Learning Council. A distinguished scholar, Dr. Souto-Manning’s research is deeply community-engaged, centering on early childhood teaching, teacher education, and systemic change. She is the author of 12 books and over 100 peer-reviewed articles, earning multiple honors, including the AERA Innovations in Research on Diversity in Teacher Education Award and an AERA Fellowship in 2023. Dr. Souto-Manning is leading Erikson’s bold strategic direction from 2025 through 2029, anchored in five key priorities:
  • Expanding access to high-quality professional preparation, licensure pathways, and field-based training for those working with young children, families, and communities.
  • Advancing interdisciplinary research and policy engagement to drive systemic change.
  • Strengthening student support services and alumni networks for career success.
  • Cultivating strategic partnerships across sectors to amplify impact.
  • Elevating Erikson’s influence in research, policy discussions, and blueprints for quality early childhood programs.
A first-generation immigrant from Brazil, Dr. Souto-Manning began her career as a public preschool teacher before earning her undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees from the University of Georgia. Her journey from educator to institutional leader underscores her lifelong dedication to building more effective, responsive, and research-driven early childhood systems. At Erikson Institute, she is fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration, ensuring that every professional who enters the field is equipped to create meaningful, lasting change for children, families, and communities.

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