Andrew Houtenville Receives 2025 Distinguished Service Award from NARRTC

The Institute on Disability (IOD) at the University of New Hampshire is proud to announce that Andrew Houtenville, director of the IOD, has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Distinguished Service Award from NARRTC. This award is the highest honor conferred by NARRTC and recognizes individuals who have made significant and sustained contributions to the field of disability through research, teaching, service, knowledge translation, or advocacy.

Houtenville’s career spans over two decades of pioneering research and public service. As an economist, he has applied his expertise to address critical issues in disability policy and employment. Since 2003, he has led the NIDILRR-funded Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Statistics and Demographics (StatsRRTC), helping to shape the field through timely, accessible, and actionable data.

Two of his most influential initiatives—the National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) monthly webinar series and the Annual Disability Statistics Compendium—have provided researchers, policymakers, service providers, and advocates with valuable tools for understanding and addressing disparities in disability employment and well-being. These resources have become essential to national and state-level policy discussions and are widely cited across academia and advocacy.

Houtenville shared:

  I am truly honored to receive this award from NARRTC, a community of highly skilled and dedicated researchers funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). Being a part of NARRTC has shaped my career and life. I very much respect the perspectives of my friends and colleagues in NARRTC and NIDILRR, whose work opens up opportunities for all.   

Beyond his research, Houtenville’s commitment to the disability community is personal and enduring. As a member of the disability community himself, he brings authenticity, passion, and vision to his work. His recent transition from tenured professor of economics to full-time director of the IOD underscores his dedication to advancing disability inclusion through research, education, and collaboration.

Please join us in congratulating Houtenville on this well-deserved recognition of his lifetime of service and impact.