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Minnesota College Professionals Association
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    • History
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    • Awards
    • Policies & Bylaws
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  • Fall Conference Update
  • Professional Development
    • Commissions >
      • New Professionals Commission
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MCPA AWARDS

Each year at the Fall Conference these awards recognize current professionals, faculty, graduate students, and retired professionals in student affairs and/or academic affairs who have shown outstanding commitment in a number of areas. Below are the full descriptions for each award:
  • Lee Knefelkamp Research Award
  • Linda Schrempp Alberg Outstanding Contribution to MN Higher Education Award
  • Lud Spolyar Distinguished Service Award
  • Innovations in Student Development Award
  • New Professionals of the Year Award
  • Retirement Awards
  • Voice of Inclusion Awards​
Click here for a list of previous board members. 


​New Professional of the Year 

Award Description: This award recognizes an ambitious and dedicated new student development professional who has provided outstanding service to one’s institution, the field of student affairs and/or higher education, and/or has provided innovative or creative programs and services.

Eligibility: Any professional having up to 5 years experience in the field (outside of graduate internships and assistantship experiences).
1998 Chung - En (Anny) Lin
1999 Leonard (Onar) Primitivo
2001 Patrick Troup
2004 Kelly N.S. Crue
2006 Sara R. Kaiser

​2007 Tasia Tigue
2008 Katie Kustritz

​2009 Gwen Schimek
2010 Frankie Jader
2011 Jenna Schnell
​

​
2012 JayCee Cooper
2013 Keniese Evans
​2014 Kristin Economos
2015 Aya Maruyama
2016 Kate Larson & Laura Heilman

2017 Maigos Nguyen
2018 ​Randi Goettl & Carol Mejia


Voice of Inclusion Award ​

Award Description: The Voice of Inclusion Award recognizes initiatives or individuals who serve within higher education by creating exemplary environments of inclusion for students, employees, and/or institutions. Recipients should exhibit an ongoing commitment towards advancing equity and social justice and taking an intersectional approach to bring typically underrepresented voices and identities to the forefront of higher education. Attempts will be made to recognize work being done across professional disciplines in equity and inclusion work.

Eligibility: Open to all professionals in the field of student affairs and/or academic affairs, including graduate students.
2008 Anne Phibbs
2009 Ben Falter
2010 Heidi Aldes
2011 Sarah Johnson
​
​2012 Building Bridges Conference
2013 Sasanehsaeh Pyawasay
2014 Keelin Yenney-Henderson
2015 Joanne Reeck

​
​​
​2016 Maxwell Poessnecker ​
2017 Jean Maierhofer
​2018 Brisa Zubia


​Linda Schrempp Alberg Award for Outstanding Contributions to
​MN Higher Education
 

About the Namesake: In 1997, the Minnesota Contribution Award was renamed to honor Linda Schrempp Alberg, MCPA's president from 1983-1984. This award honors Linda for the characteristics she showed in the field, including leadership potential, nurturing of others, effective communication skills, creativity, proactive style, and fairness.

Award Description: The purpose of this award is to honor a professional whose work with students and service at one of Minnesota’s institutions of higher education sets an example for all student development professionals.

Eligibility: Open to all practicing student affairs professionals or professionals retired from a Minnesota institution of higher education.
1994 Dr. Kathleen Allen
1995 Linda Schrempp Alberg
1996 Dr. Gerald Bodelson
1997 Colleen Hegranes
1998 Dr. Thomas E. Carey
1999 Gregory Roberts
​2000 Jane Canney
2002 Brian Bruess
2003 Ann Klamer
2004 Dr. Robert Nelson
2005 Karen Lange and Dr. Trish la Plante
2006 Anne Blackhurst, Ph.D.
​2007 Carlos Sneed
​2008 Ann Garvey
​

2009 Pam Boersig
2010 Dr. Wanda Overland
2012 Cecelia Stanton
2014 Dr. Penny Jo Rosenthal
2015 Charlie Potts
2016 Kathy Glampe 
2017 Karla Benson Rutten
2018​ Berne Christiansen


​Lee Knefelkamp Research Award

About the Namesake: Dr. Lee Knefelkamp has researched and written about student intellectual, ethical, identity and intercultural development; curriculum transformation; issues of race, ethnicity, and gender; campus climate assessment; and the psychology of organizational change and resistance to change. Dr. Knefelkamp is considered one of the United States pioneering scholars in the area of intellectual and ethical development.

Award Description: This award encourages and supports student development and student affairs research done by professionals, practitioners, graduate students, and faculty. Research must be completed within the past 2 years or currently in progress, and research proposals should promote further understanding of student development and/or investigate or enhance the impact of student affairs/services on campus.
​
Eligibility: Open to all professionals in the field of student affairs and/or academic affairs, including
graduate students.
1990 Jeanne Henjum
1992 Mary Stieber
1993 Debra Harless
1997 Cathleen (Tina) Royer
1998 Emily J. Sather
2001 Sherri Crahen
2002 Gustavus Adolphus College
2003 Dr. Nessa Kleinglass
2005 Michael Steger and Bryan Dik
2007 Mary Ann Ryan
​
2011 Dr. Zha Blong Xiong
2012 Dr. Tori Svoboda
2016 Caitlin Herby 
2017 Vern Klobassa
2018 ​Michael Grewe




​Innovations in Student Development

Award Description: This "best practices" award is designed to facilitate the sharing of new ideas and show appreciation for the work of our colleagues. The program must be an implemented strategy or campus program that is timely to the profession or provides a new or creative approach to a student development or campus issue, and have an impact on the nominee's campus.

Eligibility: Open to all professionals in the field of student affairs and/or academic affairs, including graduate students.
1986 Pam Holsinger
1987 Roger Balbu
1989 Don Craig & Anne Latsch
1990 Jerry Rinehart & Michelle Grosz
1994 Tom Balistrieri
1995 Milissa J. Troen
1997 Don Cavalier
1998 UMC "Sexual Assault PreventionTask Force" & Winona State "Wings program"
​
2000 University of St. Thomas (Lee Hoedl), Student Involvement Portfolio
2002 University of St. Thomas PLEDGE Program

2003 College of St.Benedict/St. John's University, Health and Wellness Committee
2004 St. Olaf College, Bill Green and the Diversity Design Team
2005 College of St. Catherine, "Stitching our Stories"
2006 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, "Seminar for Parents" online courses
​2007 Century College GPS LifePlan
2008 College of St. Catherine, Money Doesn't Grow on Trees
2009 College of St. Benedict, I-LEAD Fellowship Program
​

2010 Normandale Community College, See Yourself Here outreach program
2011 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Deans Scholars Program, College of Biological Sciences
​2012 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Center for Academic Planning and Exploration
2013 Gustavus Adolphus College, Faculty/Administrator in Residence (FAIR) program
2016 Jessica Kuecker Grotijohn for AIM: Academic Integrity Matters, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
2017 
Rebecca Dordel for Career Planning for Biologists, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
2018 Alexis Austin



​Lud Spolyar Award for Distinguished Service

About the Namesake: Lud Spolyar was the founding President of MCPA in 1969-1970.

Award Description: As the most prestigious association award, this award recognizes a current or past MCPA member for outstanding service to the Association and/or the student affairs profession.

Eligibility: Open to any individual who is a current or past MCPA member.
1978 Lud Spolyar
1981 Diane Johnson
1990 Linda Schrempp Alberg
1992 Mark Bultmann
1994 Pam Smith Mentz
1995 Tina Royer
1996 Bob Seybold
​
1997 Alan Sickbert
1998 Anne Latsch
1999 Milissa Troen
2000 Donna Hauer
2003 William "Tex" Ostvig
2004 Jody Terhaar
2005 Brian Bruess
2007 T. Todd Masman
2008 Gregory Roberts
​
2009 Tori Svoboda
2010 Mary Tosch
2011 Dara Hagen
2012 Matthew Antonio Bosch
2013 Dr. Kathleen Boyle
​2016 Michael Grewe 
​2017 Jessica Lauritsen



​Retirement Awards

Description & Eligibility: All retiring professionals whose professional career is affiliated with student affairs and/or academic affairs will be honored at the MCPA conference.
2000 Anne Latsch
2001 Dr. Thomas E. Carey
2003 Diane Johnson, Patricia Tollefson
2010 Dr. Ralph Anderson, Gail Cywinski
2016 Norah Hoff,  Sue Oatey
2017 Alan Sickbert, Kathie Peterson, Julie Ann Edin
​


​Outstanding Fall Conference Program Award

Award Description: This award is given to the presenter(s) of the highest rated program at the Fall Conference.

Eligibility: Presenter(s) must be registered and paid for the Fall Conference, and at least 5 evaluations for that program must be completed and turned into the Fall Conference Planning Committee for review.

Future Obligations: The recipient(s) of this award will be asked to present this presentation at a future MCPA event.
1996 Christine A. Ohl
1997 Building Our Piece of Community - Alan Sickbert, Heidi Anderson-Isaacson, Patti Klein
2001 Leadership Development: Leadership as the Expression of Character - Tom Hodgson
2002 Real World vs. Road Rules - Lisa Mueller
2003 Myth of the Model Minority and SE Asians in Higher Education - Lavanh Lo & Penh Lo
​
2004 Deployment: Understanding a student’s experience when a family member is overseas - Kelly N.S. Crue
​2005 Stitching Our Stories - College of St. Catherine


2006 Who Mentored U! - Bridging Student Success Through Mentoring - Wm. Tex Ostvig
2007 Implementing Positive Psychology to Promote Student Success - Meaghan Stein
​2008 Political Activism and Free Speech: What Can You Do and What Gets You In Trouble - Ann Garvey & Sharon Dzik
2009 Hangin' Out: Creating Cool Spaces for Students on Campus - Mary Ann Ryan and Aaron Macke
​
2010 Dear Abby, I am an Unhealthy Student Affairs Professional - Matthew Antonio Bosch and Bryan Helminiak


2011 Resisting White Homonormativity - Finn Schneider & Fernando Rodriguez
2012 New Directions in Crisis Management: Preparing Your Department for the Worst While Doing Your Best - Steven McCullar & Kevin Hammond
2013 Bi*Inclusion in Higher Education - Michael Grewe
2014 Supporting Asexual Students - Michael Grewe & Max Poessnecker
2015 Strategic Planning for You: Goals, Actions, and Priorities - Keith Edwards
2016 Who's Support US! Professionals of Color in Higher Ed - Jason Jackson
2017 The Illusion of Inclusion - Eric Pegues


​Graduate Case Study Winners

2013 Savanah Pearson & Chase Logsdon
2014 Amy Anderson & Melissa Rach
2015 Krystle Igbo-Ogbonna & Emily Horton
2016 Dylan Kersten, Allison Quinn & Madison Dockter
2017 Aaron Bauer & Anne Fischhaber


​ACPA Diamond Honorees

Kathleen Allen
Mary Howard
Mary Ann Ryan
Ralph Berdie
Marvalene Styles Huges
Alan Sickbert


Lois Fiedler
Robert Jones
Lud Spolyar
Harriett Copher Haynes

Lisa Landreman
E.G. Williamson

Colleen Hegranes
Clyde Parker
C. Gilbert Wrenn
Jeanne Higbee
Gregory Roberts
  • Home
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