UA Professor to Advise Romney on Education Issues

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has appointed University of Arkansas professor Robert Costrell to his advisory committee on education.

Costrell, who holds the 21^st-Century Chair in Education Accountability in the College of Education and Health Professions, joined the UA faculty in 2006.

Before that, his career in education and public service included seven years in major policy roles for three governors of Massachusetts. One of these roles was serving as then-Gov. Romney’s education adviser, in which he helped develop Romney’s comprehensive education reform proposal of 2005.

Costrell will not be paid for the advisory role in Romney’s campaign.

Last year, Costrell was named a fellow in education reform at the George W. Bush Institute. He holds a doctorate in economics from Harvard University, and much of his research centers on teacher pension reform.