Oluwatoyin Ajilore, a STEM education researcher, education policy columnist at TheCable, and PhD student at Tufts University, has been nominated for the Naomi Miyake Award at the 2025 International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS), held at the University of Helsinki, Finland.
Ajilore, who was the first author on the nominated paper, joins a group of eight graduate student-led research teams honoured for their groundbreaking contributions to the learning sciences, selected from among hundreds of paper submissions at the annual conference.
The Naomi Miyake Award, presented by the International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS), honours exceptional graduate-led research that demonstrates strong potential to advance the field. Only two papers are ultimately awarded each year.
Ajilore’s paper, titled “The complexity of adopting and sustaining a listening stance”, was presented at ICLS 2025 as part of a collaborative research project focused on improving how university faculty engage student thinking in STEM classrooms.
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A rising voice in education research and policy
Before this recognition, Ajilore had already been a steady voice for education, combining expertise in education research, practice and policy advocacy.
She currently serves as the graduate student representative to the academic committee of the Tufts University board of trustees, the highest governing body, where she advocates for students of the Graduate School of Art and Sciences (GSAS).
In 2024, she was awarded the GSAS Dean’s Innovation Fellowship in recognition of her capacity for groundbreaking research.
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Earlier, in 2022, she received the Tufts Provost Leadership Fellowship—an honour reserved for doctoral students who demonstrate outstanding academic performance, leadership, and civic engagement.
Her doctoral research explores how university faculty can be supported to create student-centred classrooms that foster authentic scientific thinking.
As part of this work, she co-facilitated an eight-week cross-continental professional development program for university faculty in both the United States and Nigeria.
Ajilore also serves as a research fellow with the Institute of Governance and Economic Transformation, where she contributes to public and policy discourse aimed at reforming education systems—part of her broader commitment to people-centred education.
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As an education columnist for TheCable, Ajilore has published over 30 articles examining the intersections of policy, pedagogy, and equity in education in Nigeria and beyond.
Her articles address critical issues, including a notable open letter to Nigeria’s former minister of education, where she advocated for the reversal of the 18-year age limit for university admission.
Her writing, like her teaching and research, reflects a deep and consistent commitment to transforming education.
A pan-african leader with global influence
Prior to her doctoral studies, Ajilore was a lecturer at the University of Ibadan, where she taught over 2,000 undergraduates and led curriculum and instructional innovations.
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She is also the founder of the Oak Nation Entrepreneurial (ONE) Foundation, a nonprofit that supports youth-led enterprises in Nigeria with education, mentoring, funding, and advocacy, with outreach extending to other African countries.
Her work has earned her several international fellowships, including the Mandela Washington Fellowship (2021) by the United States Department of State; the Innocent Chukwuma Social Impact Fellowship (2022) by Lagos Business School in conjunction with Ford Foundation, and the African Women Entrepreneurship Fellowship (2019) by the Centre for Global Enterprise.
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Ajilore says her “mission is to develop human capital for the future by transforming education systems and challenging education stakeholders—including governments, administrators, teachers, students and the general public—towards a thinking-focused education”.
Her nomination for the Naomi Miyake Award adds to her growing global recognition for academic leadership, policy insight, and unwavering dedication to reimagining education across the United States, Africa and beyond.
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