The Minnesota Elementary School PrincipalsâÄô Association awarded University of Minnesota President Robert Bruininks the âÄúChampion for ChildrenâÄù award last week. The award was in recognition of his leadership and support for child education.

Past recipients include U.S. Senators Paul Wellstone and Mark Dayton and U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad.

âÄúWe have been so fortunate to have our university president come from a rich education background and support our work as instructional leaders,âÄù MESPA Executive Director P. Fred Storti said. âÄúHis work around early childhood education and literacy is unprecedented for a university president.âÄù

BruininkâÄôs career has centered on child and adolescent development and policy, authoring and co-authoring more than 90 journal articles and more than 70 book chapters on the subject.

Bruininks, who will return to the UniversityâÄôs faculty in June, has served at the University for 40 years and as president since 2002.