LEXINGTON, Va. May 26, 2026 — The National Academy of Education (NAEd), an honorary educational society, has selected Maj. Zachary Deibel, assistant professor in the Department of History at Virginia Military Institute, as a 2026 NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellow.

Deibel was one of 25 selected from a competitive pool of nearly 500 scholars, and will receive a fellowship award of $70,000 intended to assist with his salary replacement and research expenses for the fellowship period.

Founded in 1965, the NAEd advances high-quality research to improve education policy and practice, and consists of U.S. members and international associates who are selected on the basis of scholarship related to education. According to Okhee Lee, Ph.D., chair of the NAEd Professional Development Committee, the fellowship encourages and supports the next generation of scholars from a variety of fields and disciplines as they work to improve education.

“These fellowships are more crucial than ever given the recent dramatic declines in education research funding. It is a privilege to work with our new fellows who will contribute to education research and scholarship,” said Lee. 

Deibel, who specializes in early American history, will be investigating the revolutionary origins of civic education in America for his project titled, “Liberty’s Lessons: The Educational Politics of the American Revolution,” and is excited to be participating in the fellowship. “It is an amazing opportunity to learn from and alongside some incredible scholars. I am also thrilled to be able to bring all that I learn back to VMI. The workshops, mentorship program, and collaborative learning offered by the fellowship will help me bring new approaches and research to my classes at the Institute. I am looking forward to using my research to foster new and exciting explorations with cadets and colleagues into how we can learn from the past to be informed, empathetic, and engaged citizens.”

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