ComArtSci Employee Awards

Nominations will be accepted for ComArtSci awards December 2023-February 16, 2024. 

You are encouraged to click through the survey to review all fields to prepare your nomination materials in advance. The form will save progress; however, nominators are strongly encouraged to draft and save work in a separate document.

Each year the college recognizes those that provide exceptional leadership, outstanding performance, and who go above and beyond to help make The College of Communication Arts and Sciences an excellent place to work. Employees can be recognized through one of the following awards:

Award Criteria and Nomination Forms

Staff Impact Award

This award recognizes support staff who have consistently demonstrated outstanding performance and commitment to delivering exceptional service.

Award Criteria:

  • Anticipate needs of the unit and are proactive/forward thinking in addressing those needs
  • Promote productive relationships across the college and university while demonstrating diplomacy and responsiveness
  • Demonstrates exemplary customer service and excellent organizational skills
  • Is a creative staff leader dedicated to problem solving and fostering high quality work
  • Treats others with dignity, respect, integrity
  • Fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace by driving and/or collaborating on programs/initiatives that elevate and empower the potential of all people
  • Promotes teamwork that enhances effectiveness and efficiency in the workplace
  • Shows evidence of superior work performance
  • Contributes to the College and University (projects or other efforts/initiatives, outreach, committees, etc.)

The Fine Print:

  • This award is for regular support staff (CTU, APA, APSA). On-call, temps and students are not eligible. 
  • Employees must not be in a probationary/trial period. Ideal candidates will have been employed by the college a minimum of 2 years
  • Eligibility to win is limited to every 5 years

Nomination Packets Should Include:

  • 3-5 letters of support, 2 pages or less.
    • 1 letter of support will be the nomination form (link forthcoming).
    • Letters of support can come from across campus and should be written by someone with direct knowledge and experience interacting with nominee.
  • Candidates will be evaluated based on award criteria by a selections committee made up of faculty and staff representatives from across the college. Be sure to address each award criterion within nomination materials. 

Submit a nomination

Faculty Impact Award

This award is designed to reward faculty (tenure-stream and professors of practice, academic specialists, advisors) who demonstrate outstanding leadership and seeks to recognize, honor, and reward faculty leaders who go beyond performance of routine tasks, are generous in sharing insights, and provide the hard work and mentoring that creates vision and excellence in programs and departments. It recognizes faculty and advisors whose dedication to teaching, advising, or mentoring has had a noteworthy and enduring impact on the lives and careers of students. 

Award Criteria:

  • Shows dedication to teaching, advising, and/or mentoring for both undergraduate and/or graduate students
  • Displays innovation and effective decision making
  • Produce high quality work for the good of the department and/or students
  • Demonstrate the will to effect change for the better
  • Welcome invitations for collaboration  
  • Serves as a facilitator in active and deliberate problem‐solving
  • Strives for creating consensus around issues
  • Gives voice to a sense of shared future
  • Encourage others’ path to intellectual leadership
  • Fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace through sustained support, participation, and leadership in programs/initiatives that elevate and empower the potential of all people

The Fine Print:

  • Eligibility to win is limited to every 5 years
  • Student feedback will be solicited via Qualtrics and shared with department chairs/supervisors. Department chairs/supervisors will review feedback and select candidates to pursue for additional nomination materials. Chairs/supervisors are required to write a letter of support for each FIA nominee

Nominations Should Include:

  • 3-5 letters of support, 2 pages or less
    • 1 letter of support must be from chair or supervisor.
    • Student letter of support strongly encouraged.
    • 1 letter of support will be the nomination form (link forthcoming).
    • Additional letters of support can come from across campus and should be written by someone with direct knowledge and experience interacting with nominee (link forthcoming).
  • Candidates will be evaluated based on award criteria by a selections committee made up of faculty and staff representatives from across the college. Be sure to address each award criterion within nomination materials

Submit a nomination

Outstanding Leadership Award 

This award recognizes a member of the college who embodies exceptional leadership by building community, nurturing a culture of care and support, exhibiting strong stewardship of institutional resources (time, talent, financial), fostering a culture of accountability, and developing a shared vision of institutional excellence. The award is not limited to those in traditional leadership or supervisory roles, but is intended to acknowledge all types of leaders in the college.

Award Criteria:

  • Embodies a passion for ongoing high‐quality performance improvement
  • Demonstrates compassion for the betterment of others
  • Seeks opportunities and resources to support and encourage success of colleagues
  • Fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace by driving and/or collaborating on programs/initiatives that elevate and empower the potential of all people
  • Seeks to continuously improve ComArtSci operations as well as student, staff, and faculty experience
  • Personifies resilience, flexibility, dependability
  • Builds and maintains a sense of community with colleagues within/across units by bringing people together for a common purpose
  • Builds community by creating opportunities to bring people together for meaningful engagement and collaboration within/across units
  • Promotes equity by welcoming and valuing a diversity of opinions in discussions, demonstrating acceptance of others, speaking up against marginalization and disrespect, considering accessibility, diversity, inclusion in all aspects of job assignments
  • Fosters a culture of accountability

The Fine Print:

  • Nominees do not need to be in a supervisory position. Leadership can be demonstrated through participation in committees, teams, peer training, mentorship, etc.
  • Must not be employee in a probationary/trial period; ideal candidates will have been employed by the college a minimum of 2 years.
  • Open to all full-time employees (faculty, staff, administrators).
  • Eligibility to win is limited to every 5 years.

Nomination Packets Should Include:

  • 3-5 letters of support, 2 pages or less.
    • 1 letter of support will be the nomination form (link forthcoming).
    • Letters of support can come from across campus and should be written by someone with direct knowledge and experience interacting with nominee.
  • Candidates will be evaluated based on award criteria by a selections committee made up of faculty and staff representatives from across the college. Be sure to address each award criterion within nomination materials

Submit a nomination

Past Award Honorees

Julie Fusi, Dean's Office (2023)

Barb Miller, The Knight Center for Environmental Journalism (2022)

Brian Kusch, Journalism (2021)

Kim Kersten Williams, Dean's Office (2020)

Judy Walgren, Journalism (2023)

Ralf Schmälzle, Communication (2022)

Howard Bossen, Journalism (2021)

Bree E. Holtz, Advertising & Public Relations (2019)

Allison Eden, Ph.D., Communication (2018)

Joanne C. Gerstner, Journalism (2017)

Amol S. Pavangadkar, Media & Information (2016)

Stephen R. Lacy, Journalism (2015)

Andrew D. Corner, Advertising + Public Relations (2014)

Karl Gude, Journalism (2013)

Sandi Walker Smith, Ph.D., Communication (2012)

Robert A. Albers, Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media (2011)

Lucinda D. Davenport, Ph.D., Journalism (2010)

Franklin J. Boster, Ph.D., Journalism (2009)

Thomas A. Muth, Sr., Ph.D., Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media (2008)

Gary A. Reid, Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media (2007)

Monique Turner, Communication (2023)

Susi Elkins, WKAR (2022)

Teresia Hagelberger, Dean's Office (2021)

Julie Hagopian, B.A. 2007 Marketing, M.A. 2012, Student Affairs Administration (2020)