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:
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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 |