dissertation of the year award

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Outstanding Dissertation Award

Recognizing an outstanding scientific contribution from a doctoral thesis in health services research or health policy in 2023. The 2024 nomination period is now closed

The Outstanding Dissertation Award recognizes an outstanding scientific contribution from a doctoral thesis in health services research or health policy in 2023. Dissertations from a wide variety of methodologies are encouraged for nomination, including quantitative, mixed-methods, and qualitative. Judging by the innovative research, this doctoral candidate shows exceptional promise as a health services researcher. The award will be presented at the 2024 Annual Research Meeting and the winner will receive one complimentary registration and one night lodging to the conference. 

Nomination Timeline

The nomination period is now closed. Notifications will be sent out in late April. 

Eligibility and Nomination Criteria

• Quantitative 
• Mixed-methods
• Community-based participatory research 
• Narrative analysis
• Data science and analytics e.g., machine learning and data visualization
• Nominations must include a letter of endorsement from the nominee's mentor, who may also be the nominator
• A synopsis of the dissertation (no longer than two pages)
• If applicable, nominations must include a description of the funding source
• The effective date of the degree awarded, or the completion of doctoral degree requirements and dissertation, must be between December 1, 2022 to January 1, 2024.
• Self-nominations are accepted.
• Nominees and nominators must be members of AcademyHealth
• Nominees from minority-serving institutions and individuals from minoritized and historically excluded groups are encouraged. 

Review Criteria

• Importance of topic
• Quantity, Breadth, and Quality of Research
• Importance of Policy Implications of Results
• Promise as a HSR’er

More Information

• Current and Past Awardees
• Selection Committee

For awards related questions, please contact Troi Jones.

2024 Recipient

Private Equity and Physician Practice Strategy  

Yashaswini Singh, Ph.D., M.P.A.

Yashaswini Singh, Ph.D., M.P.A. is a health care economist and Assistant Professor of Health Services, Policy,... Read Bio

Honorable Mention Maximilian J. Pany M.D., Ph.D. Harvard Medical School and Mass General Brigham

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Dissertation & Thesis Frequently Asked Questions

Preliminary review.

Reviews are scheduled through Microsoft Bookings following the instructions on the Preliminary Technical Review page.

All reviews should be made using your school email address ending in @baylor.edu.

All reviews take place online via Teams. You will receive a Teams meeting link in the confirmation email you receive after scheduling.

You most likely used an email other than your school email ending in @baylor.edu. The confirmation emails with the links often go to spam; please check that folder.

Use the options on your confirmation email to reschedule your review. Please do not try to reschedule via email.

Appointment slots are limited; you should only sign up for one preliminary review to ensure there is opportunity for all students to have a review. The only exception is if a Dissertation and Thesis staff member directs you to sign up for an additional appointment.

You must submit your materials to your profile in Vireo at least one hour prior to your review. If your materials are not submitted, you risk having your review cancelled.

Reviews for students who have clearly not applied the required formatting will be cancelled. Students will be notified via email.

Vireo Submission (Baylor's Submission Portal)

Students submit through Baylor’s Dissertation and Thesis submission portal, Vireo, which can be accessed at https://baylor-etd.tdl.org/. The manuscript and all accompanying documents will be uploaded there.  We do not accept documents via email.

You should only use the “Shibboleth Login” following the instructions on the Preliminary Review page. Do not create an account with an email/password. It should require you to use Duo to login after clicking “Shibboleth Login.”

Yes. Students should never create a new submission, even if they are temporarily unable to upload. (See next question.) All revisions, forms, and other documents must be submitted to the same profile.

The system will only allow uploads if your status is set to “Needs Corrections.” Please email  [email protected]  and a consultant will change your status.

Students are not able to change basic submission information once it is submitted. Please email the changes you need made to  [email protected]  and we will make those changes in the system for you.

Signature Page

a) Click on the correct signature page (number of committee members = number of lines) b)When you see the screen that says "Please Wait," click on the download button in the right-hand corner of the screen.  c) Save the document to your computer. d) Go to the folder where you saved the signature page.  e) Right click, select "Open With" and click on "Adobe." 

Click “print” and select “Microsoft Print to PDF.” This will allow you to save as a regular PDF without fillable fields.

No. You should turn in the signed page with signatures from all committee members and your department chair; the Graduate School will obtain the Dean’s signature.

No. The Graduate School does not accept paper copies of any forms or manuscripts. All paperwork should be uploaded directly to the student’s Vireo submission portal. Physical forms that are dropped off at the office will be shredded.

Baylor provides KIC scanners for student use in Moody Library, including in the Graduate Research Center on the 2 nd  floor. Students may also choose to use scanning apps on their phones, such as Scannable, etc. Photographs or sloppy scans of forms are not accepted.

No. The only forms submitted directly by the department are both online: The Announcement of Oral Exam form and the Results of Oral Examination form. Departments who assist in obtaining signatures should send the signed forms back to the student, who will then submit.

Students should submit forms (unsigned and signed signature pages, Copyright and Availability form, and Approval of Final Dissertation/Thesis Copy form) directly to Vireo. Doctoral students will need to submit the Doctoral Investment Form online.

It is your responsibility to schedule far enough in advance to ensure that all committee members can meet  prior  to the defense deadline.

As long as you have all of your materials and final revisions turned in by the 10-day deadline, you may make necessary formatting changes after that deadline.

All changes should be made within 48 hours of receiving the notification email.

The Dissertation and Thesis Office works through submissions as quickly as possible. Timelines vary by individual student based on how quickly they turn in revisions, how many revisions they have, and whether we have received all of their forms.

Master's students'  information is sent to our Student Records area immediately upon approval in  Vireo . After receiving the Vireo approval email, please allow for a few days for that requirement to be cleared on your audit.

Doctoral students'  information is sent to our Student Records area immediately upon approval in  ProQuest  (see section below.) After receiving the Vireo approval email, doctoral students should follow the instructions in the email in order to upload to ProQuest. They will receive an email from ProQuest alerting them when their ProQuest submission has been approved. After receiving the ProQuest approval email, please allow for a few days for that requirement to be cleared on your audit.

ProQuest Submission (Global repository; Required for doctoral students AFTER Vireo Approval)

Students should only upload to ProQuest after receiving the approval email from Vireo stating that their dissertation (or thesis) is approved and ready for submission. The Vireo approval email includes instructions on how to upload to ProQuest, including the information in the questions below.

After approval on Vireo, go to your Vireo submission and download the “primary document” on file. This will include your unsigned signature page and be the official copy of your dissertation approved by Baylor. This is the document you should upload to ProQuest. It is also the document you should use for all future printings/copies of your dissertation.

Baylor does not pay any fees associated with ProQuest submission and publication. The “Traditional Publishing” option is free through ProQuest and is what the majority of students select.

Based on US Copyright laws, your dissertation is automatically protected by copyright in your name when it assumes "fixed form." Whether or not you want to formally register that copyright with the US Copyright Office is up to you.

You should choose the embargo that matches the one indicated on your Copyright and Availability form. If you chose a 5-year embargo, you will need to use the “Note to Administrator” to let us know, and we will manually enter that embargo before approval.

Bound copies are processed only after submissions are delivered to the system on the day of commencement. This means you will need to wait several weeks after your graduation for your copies to arrive. Baylor is not involved in printing or delivering bound copies; any questions regarding printed and bound copies should be directed to ProQuest.

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ACPA Awards

Each year, ACPA provides recognition to exemplary students, administrators, educators, and programs/initiatives, normally awarded at ceremonies and receptions during the Annual Convention.

Awards are broken up into two parts: Association Awards are the highest honors and recognition ACPA provides the profession; Entity Awards highlight accomplishments of individuals, programs, and entities (generally commissions, coalitions, state/regional and international chapters, and communities of practice). They are an opportunity to highlight best practices and scholarship that benefit students, recognize members and highlight accomplishments. We encourage all to nominate at least one mentor, peer, colleague, student, or supervisee for one of these awards. 

If you have any questions about the awards information or awards program, please contact [email protected] .

Get Involved in ACPA Awards

The ACPA Awards & Recognition Working Council is seeking active ACPA members who are willing to serve as an ACPA Association-Wide Award reviewer. Participants wanting to serve as an ACPA Association-Wide Award reviewer should expect to be available October – November 2024 to review application materials, submit rubrics, and share feedback on nominations, and possibly participate in one conference call.

• Association-Wide Awards Reviewers must be active members of ACPA.
• Applications are due 31 July 2024.

If you have any questions about ACPA Awards or assist in reviewing award nominations, please contact the ACPA Awards and Recognition Council via email at [email protected] .

NOMINATION DEADLINES:

25 august 2024: .

• Emerging and Senior Scholar Awards

1 October 2024: 

• ACPA Association Awards
• Overall Entity Awards

Association Awards

The 14 Association Awards below represent the highest honors and recognition at the Association-level, including the recognition of scholarship, service, collaboration, contributions, lifetime achievement, innovation, and inclusion. The nomination period for the 2025 cycleis 1 July 202–1 October 2024. ACPA encourages members to nominate yourself or a colleague for one of these prestigious honors!

Click on the Award name to learn more about the requirements, expectations and nomination instructions for each.

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Lifetime Achievement Award

The ACPA Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes individuals who have a minimum of two decades of extraordinary long-term involvement and service to the field of student affairs and/or higher education over an extended period of time. The recipient will have a recognized level of significant scholarly productivity and/or exemplary leadership at one or more institutions of higher learning as a student affairs or higher education administrator or faculty member. This award is typically presented at or near the recipient’s retirement from higher education.

Award Criteria

• Evidence of extraordinary involvement and service to the field
• Evidence of significant scholarly productivity and/or exemplary leadership in the field
• Evidence of sustained contribution to the field

Required Documentation

• Letter of nomination that articulates how the individual meets the criteria for the award and includes the nominee’s name, email address, and telephone number
• A minimum of two to three supporting letters from other leaders in the field
• The nominee’s resume or curriculum vita

Contribution to Knowledge Award

The ACPA Contribution to Knowledge Award recognizes outstanding and sustained contributions to the student affairs profession’s body of knowledge through published research (empirical, theoretical, applied), films, speeches, or other forms of scholarly outlets that significantly advance understanding of college students, campus environments, institutions of higher education, and student affairs practice. Recipients should be established scholars or practitioner-scholars who have demonstrated a significant impact upon the knowledge base in student affairs and higher education.

• Evidence of a body of work that significantly impacts and advances the field
• Evidence of sustained reputation as a thought leader and scholar in the field
• Evidence of a scholarly record that is recognized and used by other scholars and scholar-practitioners
• Demonstrated commitment to ACPA
• A minimum of two to three supporting letters from other scholars and leaders in the field

Contribution to Higher Education Award

This award recognizes someone who has advanced a broad higher education agenda through work at the institutional, regional, and national levels. The recipient may be someone who has worked beyond the association to contribute to the higher education landscape and has, in a meaningful way, enhanced the work done on college campuses and with college students. The recipient of this award can be (but is not limited to) a college president, another association leader, someone from the corporate world, or a political leader.

• Letter of nomination that articulates how the individual/organization meets the criteria for the award and includes the nominee’s name, email address, and telephone number
• A minimum of three supporting letters from leaders addressing how the nominee has made significant contributions to higher education
• The nominee’s resume or curriculum vita (if an individual)

Esther Lloyd-Jones Professional Service Award

The Esther Lloyd-Jones Professional Service Award honors the life and work of one of the earliest pioneers of our profession, Esther Lloyd-Jones . The award recipient exemplifies the profession’s commitment to service through significant, continued, and unselfish service/leadership activities that have benefited the  nominee’s campus, the profession, ACPA, and the profession’s practice on the state and national level. 

• Minimum of 15 years as a scholar or practitioner in student affairs within an institution of higher education
• Evidence of making a significant contribution(s) to the co-curricular student experience, their campus, and/or their colleagues
• Is well versed in the literature and has evidence of applying theory to practice in their work. (This could be far ranging from student affairs, developmental theory, environmental and cultural literature and research.)
• The nominee’s resume
• Two supporting letters from other leaders in the field

Anne S. Pruitt-Logan Presidential Citation

The Anne S. Pruitt-Logan Presidential Citation is awarded by the discretion of the ACPA President based on their observation and/or direct work with the individual, consequently, there is no formal nomination process in place for this award. This honor is rarely bestowed upon members of the Association, for lifelong service and extraordinary contributions to the profession of student affairs and most particularly to ACPA.

Marylu McEwen Dissertation of the Year

The purpose of this award is to recognize a completed dissertation that demonstrates scholarly excellence and makes a substantial contribution to knowledge in the general field of student affairs/student services. The dissertation may be in any scholarly tradition or methodology and focus on any topic in the field.

The Dissertation of the Year Award is named in honor of Dr. Marylu McEwen , Professor Emerita in the Student Affairs concentration with the Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education, at the University of Maryland, College Park. 

The financial award is funded by the ACPA Foundation through an endowment started by a generous gift in honor of Marylu McEwen.

Eligibility

• Eligible dissertations must have met all requirements of the applicant’s institution and have been signed by the applicant’s dissertation committee between 1 April 2023 and 1 August 2024.
• A dissertation may only be nominated once. Dissertations previously nominated will not be reconsidered.
• The faculty nominator must be the dissertation committee chair or member of the dissertation committee and a member of ACPA at the time of the nomination.
• The nominee must be a member of ACPA prior to receipt of the award.
• One recipient will be selected annually. Additional nominees may be cited for excellence.
• The recipient will receive a plaque, complimentary annual convention registration for the recipient and their advisor, and a cash award of $1,000
• The recipient will also get to participate in a one-on-one phone call/virtual chat with Dr. McEwen.
• The recipient will have a reserved slot to present the dissertation results in a session during ACPA25.

Selection Process

• The application package should be submitted using the application form .
• Applicants will upload all required documents when submitting the application.
• The applicant must submit a 15 double-spaced page abstract of the dissertation (inclusive of any tables and/or figures). The abstract should include the following: (1) full dissertation title; (2) statement of the study’s purpose; (3) research questions, if applicable; (4) significance of the study; (5) theoretical or conceptual underpinnings, if applicable; (6) methods – research design/approach, sampling, data collection procedures or data sources used, and data analysis; (7) summary of key findings; and (8) implications for practice, policy, and/or future research. The abstract should contain no identifying information that reveals the author, committee members, or institution. Additionally, up to three single-spaced pages of references in APA format can accompany the abstract and will not be included in the 15-page limit. Please submit the abstract as a .PDF document and use the first few words of the Running Head as the title of the document. Please use this same file name for naming all files, including the abstract and certification form. This standardized naming convention is essential to efficient processing of the submission.
• The selection process is masked. That is, the applicant and the dissertation committee members’ identities are masked from the reviewers. The committee chair will ensure that dissertations from the reviewers’ institutions do not review nominees’ materials. Committee members will recuse themselves if they are acquainted with the nominee, committee members, or the dissertation.
• The applicant’s dissertation advisor must sign a certificate statement (PDF) verifying the applicant has met the degree requirements of the institution and has been signed off by the applicant’s dissertation committee. The applicant will submit this form with the application.
• The recipient will be selected and notified no later than January 2025. Decisions of the committee are final.
• The deadline for submissions is 1 October 2024.

For questions, please contact the Dissertation of the Year Committee Co-Chairs, Dr. Christopher Travers, [email protected] & Dr. Kaity Prieto [email protected]

Nancy J. Evans Voices of Inclusion Award

ACPA’s Equity and Inclusion Statement provides a reaffirmation of the Association’s commitment to equity and inclusion of the multiple identities and experiences of its members. It acknowledges the importance of these ideas in the success of the Association and of professionals in our fields to create a strong culture where we can all learn, grow, and be successful.

The Voices of Inclusion award was established in 2002 by then-ACPA President Nancy Evans . It was first awarded at the 2002 Convention in Long Beach, California, which had a theme of “Voices of Wisdom: Stories of Inclusion, Practice, and Scholarship”. Merriam-Webster defines “voice” as a “wish, choice, or opinion openly or formally expressed” or a “right of expression; also: influential power”. In many of our cultures, one’s “voice” is where people find their strength, their truth, and their connection to others. Our voices are the ways we share, express, and advocate.

The Voices of Inclusion Award recognizes members who use their voice to make their campuses, our Association, and the field a more equitable, inclusive, and just place. Since we acknowledge that all forms of oppression are linked, it is important in discussing the Voices of Inclusion the ways that we are empowering, engaging, and advocating for people from multiple marginalized populations. We understand that these efforts come in many forms: individuals, groups and communities, and activities. This award seeks to recognize voices of inclusion no matter the form.

•  An essay (minimum of 1200 words) that explains how the nominee exemplifies the purpose of the Voices of Inclusion Award and addresses the ways that the sustained impact of that work has been felt by others. This essay should provide specific examples so that it is clear to the selection committee how the nominee was effective in supporting multiple marginalized populations. The author of the essay will serve as the primary nominator for this award.
• A statement of the history of the nominee. For individuals, this might be a resume or CV. For groups, communities, and events this might be a document explaining the purpose and history of this group that includes its founding, current status, and dates in between.
• A letter of support from a source separate from the primary author of the essay.
• While not required, nominators can choose to submit additional documentation. This might include statements of support from students or other community members, artifacts that demonstrate work or impact, metrics and assessments, event programs or agendas, or other relevant documents at the discretion of the nominator.

Harold E. Cheatham Innovative Practice Award

The Harold E. Cheatham Innovative Practice Award honors the life and work of Harold E. Cheatham , who exemplifies the qualities of this award. This award recognizes the outstanding work of a campus practitioner who is innovative in their approach, and who has made a significant impact on student communities on their campus. ACPA intends to honor practitioners who are making a difference at the local level and are successfully trying and assessing new and creative approaches to our work.

Award Criteria:

• Minimum of 8 years as a practitioner in student affairs
• Evidence of making a significant contribution(s) to the co-curricular student experience, their campus
• Evidence of implementing innovative practices

Required Documentation:

• Two supporting letters from department and campus leadership

Collaborative Excellence Award

The ACPA Collaborative Excellence awards recognize a program (institution or department) which has demonstrated an exemplary partnership or an innovative, collaborative initiative among academic and student affairs professionals/departments for a sustained period of two or more years. This award recognizes achievements that support and foster college student learning through the generation and dissemination of knowledge. These achievements should also inform policies, practices and programs at a college/university. Nominations may be received from any individual, regardless of institutional or individual membership affiliation with ACPA.

• Evidence of exemplary partnership or collaboration for at least 2 years
• Evidence that the program fosters student learning and has contributed positively to the university
• Documented assessment of the program learning outcomes and results
• A brief abstract of the program
• A nomination letter that articulates (a)  The program’s benefits to students; (b)  How the collaborative relationship (including the expression of values/ethics, roles/responsibilities, communication, and teams/teamwork) is critical to the achievement of the program’s goals and outcomes; (c)  Evidence that demonstrates excellence and effectiveness of the program; and, (d) the name, email address, and telephone number for the collaborative program’s point person
• Copies of marketing materials, articles, or other publications related to the program, if appropriate
• Two supporting letters from leaders in the field or a letter from the college/university president expressing why the collaborative program is so critically important to the institution in place of two supporting letters
• Acknowledgement by senior leaders in the collaborating departments/institutions offering their support for the partnership and program (these may serve in the place of the two supporting letters or they may be simple brief statements of support in addition to the two letters)c

Champion of Sustainability Award

The Champion of Sustainability Award is granted each year to an individual (or group) modeling emerging and current sustainability practices. In particular, the committee members wish to see evidence of collaboration to ensure a better quality of life for all, now and into the future, with an emphasis on environmental justice practices.  

Required documentation

• Letter of nomination that articulates how the individual or group meets the criteria for the award and includes the individual/group nominee’s name, email address, and telephone number

Annuit Coeptis: Senior Professional

Started in 1979, the Annuit Coeptis Award honors three senior professionals at a dinner with the Annuit Coeptis Emerging Professionals, where there can be wide-ranging discussions and exchanges about professional issues. These awards were created by ACPA (College Student Educators International) to celebrate the lives of Philip A. Tripp, Ursula Delworth, and Cynthia Johnson who dearly loved to challenge their contemporary and junior colleagues in a spirit of personal and professional sharing, good humor, and intellectual debate. The Latin phrase “annuit coeptis” reflects Professor Tripp’s optimism for the future by suggesting, “He has smiled upon that which we have begun.” 

This award is intended to be a generative and cross-generational experience. The dinner models the importance of being both teachers and learners. It invites awardees into the practice of the synergy that can be created when we come together with cross-generational wisdom.

• Evidence of extensive and sustained contributions to the field of student affairs in the areas of (a) administrative service or teaching, (b) research and publication, (c) professional association service, and (d) demonstrated leadership.
• Evidence of Phil Tripp’s commitment to mentoring and encouraging early career student affairs professionals.
• Recipients must plan to register and attend the 2025 ACPA Annual Convention and be available to share dinner with the other award recipients (traditionally on Tuesday evening of the conference.

Nomination Process

• To nominate a colleague for the Senior Professional Award, please submit a nominee’s resume and a letter explaining how the person meets the criteria listed above. U p to two additional letters of support are encouraged
• Nomination materials must be received no later than 1 October 2024.
• Please note that past recipients of the Emerging Professional Award are eligible for the Senior Award later in their careers. If you have any questions, please contact Jamie Washington, [email protected]

Senior Scholars

applications due 25 August 2024

ACPA implemented its Senior Scholars program in 1984 and has since been advocating for the integration of scholarship into the practice of student affairs. Senior Scholars, through the creation of an engaged scholar network, keep abreast of promising work and identify critical issues that could benefit from inquiry and attention. The Senior Scholars Program provides scholars with a continuing opportunity to promote scholarship through the presentation of programs of interest to the profession at each national convention and to serve the association on projects related to their fields of interest. 

ACPA Senior Scholars represent the best of engaged scholarship relevant to student affairs work in higher education. Scholars are senior members of the profession (e.g., generally full professors or senior student affairs officers) who have made exemplary and sustained contributions to ACPA’s mission transforming higher education by creating and sharing influential scholarship, shaping critically reflective practice, and advocating for equitable and inclusive learning environments.

To learn more about the expectations of becoming a Senior Scholar, visit their webpage.

• A maximum of 12 Senior Scholars can hold active membership
• Senior Scholars must be or become members of ACPA and maintain that their membership throughout their term.
• Senior Scholars serve terms of five years. The term begins at the end of the convention following the appointment as Senior Scholar.
• Senior Scholars are strongly encouraged to attend the convention at the time of their appointment to begin their orientation to the group.

If you would like to nominate a deserving colleague, please forward their name and contact information to Dr. Ximena Zúñiga, [email protected] , in advance of the 25 August 2024 application deadline. Nominees will be invited to apply for consideration by submitting the materials listed below.

Application Process

To apply for ACPA Senior Scholars, submit a single PDF document with the following materials: (a) cover letter with responses to questions below (no more than 250 words per question) and (b) current CV.

• How can you help the Senior Scholars advance our statement of action ?
• How do your scholarly interests and trajectory align with those found in ACPA’s A Bold Vision Forward: A Framework for the Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization .
• How will being a part of Senior Scholars contribute to your scholarly and professional development?
• What role would you like to see the Senior Scholars play for the association and the field of student affairs?

Application Submission

• Applications are due 11:59 pm ET on Sunday, 25 August 2024 .
• All materials should be submitted in a single PDF document, in the order listed under “application process.”
• Please use “Senior Scholars Application—LAST NAME” for your PDF file.
• Applicants will be notified in October 2024.
• For more information, contact Dr. Ximena Zúñiga ( [email protected] ), Dr. Fred A. Bonner ( [email protected] ), or Dr. Lori Patton Davis ( [email protected] ).

Annuit Coeptis: Emerging Professionals

Started in 1979, the Annuit Coeptis Award honors five early career professionals at a dinner with the Annuit Coeptis Senior Professionals, where there can be wide-ranging discussion and exchange about professional issues. These awards were created by ACPA (College Student Educators International) to celebrate the lives of Philip A. Tripp, Ursula Delworth, and Cynthia Johnson who dearly loved to challenge their contemporary and junior colleagues in a spirit of personal and professional sharing, good humor, and intellectual debate. The Latin phrase “annuit coeptis” reflects Professor Tripp’s optimism for the future by suggesting that “He has smiled upon that which we have begun.” 

This award is intended to be a generative and cross generational experience.  The dinner models the importance of being both teachers and learners. It invites awardees into the practice of the synergy that can be created when we come together with cross generational wisdom.

• No more than five years of full-time professional experience since completion of a master’s degree.
• Evidence of the potential for significant contribution to the field of student affairs in at least one of the following areas: (a) administrative service or teaching; (b) presentations (to include conference presentations) of innovative practice(s) or scholarship; (c) professional association service; or (d) leadership.
• Recipients must register for and attend the 2024 ACPA Annual Convention and be available to share dinner with the other award recipients (traditionally on Tuesday evening of the conference). If someone is selected for the award but is unable to register for the 2024 ACPA Annual Convention and participate in the dinner, they may be considered for nomination in 2025.
• To nominate a colleague for the Emerging Professional level, please submit the nominee’s current resume and at least one nomination letter explaining how the person meets the criteria listed above. U p to two additional letters of support are encouraged.
• If you have any questions, please contact Jamie Washington, [email protected]

Emerging Scholars

We are now accepting applications for the Class of 2025-2027 ACPA Emerging Scholar-Designees. Recipients will be announced as 2025-2027 ACPA Emerging Scholar-Designees (that is, the 2025 ACPA Convention through the 2027 ACPA Convention) and will each receive a $3,000 research grant from ACPA. The Emerging Scholar-Designees who have fulfilled their research and scholarly leadership commitments – as specified in their applications – by the end of their two-year term will be designated as ACPA Emerging Scholars. Requests for a one-year unfunded extension or renegotiation of the specified leadership commitments by Emerging Scholar-Designees will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

To learn more about the expectations of becoming an Emerging Scholar, visit their webpage .

• Applicants must be an ACPA member.
• Applicants either must be between 3-5 years after completing their doctorate (degree conferred 2019-2021) OR if the doctorate was earned prior to 2019, applicant must have started their first full-time faculty and/or professional position between 2019-2022.
• Emerging Scholar-Designees must register for ACPA25.
• Emerging Scholar-Designees must participate in a meeting with the Senior Scholars, traditionally held the day prior to and day of Opening Session. This year, those dates are Saturday, 15 February & Sunday, 16 February 2025.
• Emerging Scholar-Designees will receive a $3,000 research grant.

Letter of interest that includes the following:

• How your scholarly interests and trajectory align with those found in ACPA’s A Bold Vision Forward: A Framework for the Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization .
• What might you hope to learn from or get out of your engagement with the Senior Scholars? What topics might you wish to discuss with the Senior Scholars over the course of the year?
• Your current and past involvement with ACPA, including any leadership position you have held.
• Co-coordinate an ACPA25 Educational Session or Pre-Convention Workshop with a current Senior Scholar or another Emerging Scholar designed to advance the goals of the SIRJD.
• If selected, serve as designated Scholar-in-Residence (minimum one-year term) for an ACPA Commission, Coalition, or other formally constituted group.
• Submit a scholarly piece to Developments. [MOU2]
• Share the opportunities you have had for scholarly support in your doctoral program and your career to date and challenges to your scholarly productivity (e.g., teaching load, mentoring, internal grant opportunities, etc.)
• Other (to be proposed by the candidate) that will advance ACPA’s mission, vision, values, or Strategic Imperative and is consistent with the applicant’s scholarly agenda. Applicants should describe the proposed commitment in sufficient detail to foster understanding of its content and scope during the ACPA Emerging Scholar-Designee review and selection processes.

Research project proposal of no more than three single-spaced pages, excluding cover page and reference list

• A description of the proposed research project (including description of methodology and methods), and how the study advances the applicant’s broader research agenda.
• A proposed time frame (ordinarily, no longer than the designee’s two-year term as ACPA Emerging Scholar-Designee).
• A brief project budget not to exceed $3,000. Funds may be used for operating expenses including travel for data collection or dissemination. Funds may not be used to purchase equipment or to offset or supplement the designee’s salary or solely to cover conference travel. ACPA funding may not be used to cover F&A/indirect costs.
• An explanation of how the proposed research project, within the context of the applicant’s overall research agenda, advances ACPA’s mission, vision, and values as well as ACPA’s Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization .
• A commitment to present research findings at a minimum of one ACPA convention during the designee’s two-year term (that is, 2025 Emerging Scholar-Designees must present at either the 2026 or the 2027 convention as part of the sponsored Emerging Scholar research sessions).
• Applications including all supporting documents are due 11:59 pm ET on Sunday, 25 August 25, 2024.
• Submit all materials in a single PDF document, in the order listed under “application process.”
• Please use “Emerging Scholars Application—LAST NAME” for your PDF file.
• For more information, contact Dr. Ellen Broido ( [email protected] ) or Dr. Lori Patton Davis ( [email protected] ).

overall Entity Awards

Entity Awards highlight accomplishments of individuals, programs, and ACPA Entities (Commissions, Coalitions, Networks, and Chapters). They are an opportunity to highlight best practices and scholarship that benefit students, recognize members and highlight accomplishments. Overall Entity Awards are given out by Assembly Coordinators for outstanding contributions to a specific entity type.

Overall Entity Awards are due in coordination with ACPA Association Awards on 1 October 2024.

individual Entity Awards

Individual Entity awards are given out by the Entity leadership to individuals or programs that best exhibited commitment to the Entity through education or service. Individual Entities determine award deadlines and nomination processes. To learn more, visit the respective Entity website.

Latest Awards News from ACPA Entities

Gsnp eli scholarship recipient.

by Graduate Students & New Professionals Community of Practice | May 27, 2024

Congratulations to this year's GSNPCoP Emerging Leaders Institute (ELI) Scholarship recipient Rimma Korchmit! Rimma (She/Her) currently serves as an Assistant Community Director for Residence Education and Housing Services at Michigan State University. Rimma will...

GSNP Emerging Leaders Institute Scholarship- Applications Open!

by Graduate Students & New Professionals Community of Practice | Apr 16, 2024

Are you a new professional wanting to expand your network and learn more about the profession? Curious about what upper level positions look like in ACPA? If so, apply for the GSNPCoP Phyllis L. Mable Emerging Leaders Institute (ELI) Scholarship! This virtual...

C2YC Past Award Recipients

by Commission for Two-Year Colleges | Mar 10, 2024

Service to the Profession 2022-  Dr. Dariel "DT" Henry, Bristol Community College 2013 - Lisa S. Kelsay, Moraine Valley Community College 2012 - Darl Drummond, College of Lake County 2011 - Deborah Casey-Powell, Green River Community College 2010 - Randy L. Dean,...

Renaming of the Voices of Inclusion Award to the Nancy J. Evans Voices of Inclusion Award

by btognocchi | Jan 26, 2024

During our 100th Anniversary year, the ACPA Governing Board is honored to announce the renaming of the Voices of Inclusion Award to the Nancy J. Evans Voices of Inclusion Award. Dr. Nancy J. Evans was the 62nd President of ACPA from 2001-2002 and established the...

Renaming of the Presidential Citation to the Anne S. Pruitt-Logan Presidential Citation

by btognocchi | Jan 17, 2024

During our 100th Anniversary year, the ACPA Governing Board is honored to announce the renaming of the Presidential Citation to the Anne S. Pruitt-Logan Presidential Citation. Dr. Anne S. Pruitt was the 37th President of ACPA from 1976-1977 and was the first African...

MLCOP Past Award Recipients

by Mid-Level Community of Practice | Nov 3, 2023

2024: Mid-Level Practitioner-Scholar Award: Kia Kuresman Distinguished Service to the Mid-Level Community of Practice: Alice A. Mitchell, Ph.D. Exceptional Mid-Level Professional Award: Mercedes Diaz Outstanding Commitment to the Strategic Imperative for Racial...

Past award Recipients

Click the link below to view/download the Awards Ceremony Program Book from past ACPA Annual Conventions!

• Precepting at YSN
• Event Calendar

Creative Writing Awards 2024: “My First Code” by Liz Daskalakis

The 21st annual creative writing awards (cwa) were held on april 24, 2024, a celebration of the liberal arts deeply embedded in the science and clinical practice of the yale cchool of nursing (ysn) community. after a keynote speech by pulitzer prize winning journalist pam belluck, each of the three winners read their work aloud. three honorable mentions were also saluted ., my first code, by liz daskalakis ‘26 msn.

I was overly naïve and earnestly optimistic to think

That my first code would be exciting.

Not because I was overconfident

Or a pompous nursing student

As if there is such a thing

But within me lingered one of the most sinister and misleading of emotions:  

During CPR training

In a confining, dusty room,

With armless and legless mannequins sprawled out before me

They teach you how to perfuse the cardiac muscle

Using your energy to thrust life back into the lifeless.  

But what they fail to teach you

Is when your skills are simply not enough

Not enough time

Not enough energy

Not enough oxygen

Not enough power

To save the person lying beneath you.

It’s not personal.

The right atria does not care

That you received six hours of CPR training.

The right ventricle does not care

That your only life purpose in that moment is to save someone else.

The left atria does not care

That a family is trembling in the corner hearing their loved ones’ ribs crack

Under the pressure.

The left ventricle does not care

That the person in my first code is barely a person

Because that person is three months old.

While I was not performing compressions

Their seismic activity reverberated through my bones

As I observed behind a glass window in the PEDI ED.  

A mother and father watched seven strangers work over

Blue-tinged toes

A tiny chest decorated with monitors

The most precious creation they will ever make.  

Their wails are a sound

That have laid a den in my ears

Etched in my brain like a tattoo

That aches and haunts me

Every time I gaze at another infant

Wondering how such a pure love, created from scratch

Can be taken away for no reason.

My first code

Lasted forty minutes.  

Some of the worst forty minutes I have ever witnessed.  

But my experience is diminutive in comparison

To that of the infant’s parents

Who watched

With delayed anticipation

For the interpreter to utter “el esta respirando” –  

“He is breathing” in Spanish.  

But the waiting gnawed at their souls for forty minutes

And in the cruelest twist of fate,

Those treacherous words were never delivered.  

I thought butterflies in my stomach would

Flutter their delicate wings so vigorously

That their waves would induce  

A palpable sign of life for the person that needed air

More than I did in that moment.

But instead

There were hornets

Gnawing at my stomach

Stabbing their stingers into my nerves

Trying to get out with nowhere to go .    

Read More CWA 2024 Winners  

For a complete list of previous CWA winners, please visit  Past Creative Writing Awards .