2024 AAUA Award Honorees Announced

October 30, 2024

The American Association of University Administrators (AAUA) announced its Award winners for 2024 at its recognition dinner on October 15th, during its national conference. AAUA annually honors those who have made significant contributions to the field through their creativity, commitment, and service. These awards represent the highest recognition in higher education administration, scholarship, and leadership. Eight of the recipients shown above, Left to right – Tryan McMickens, Russell Noles, John and Christine Cavanaugh, Theresa Kevorkian, Dan King, Michael John Pennington, and Christopher Mayhorn, were in attendance.

The honorees are:

John Blackburn Award

Recipient: Tryan McMickens, Tuesdays Together National Speakers Series This award honors exemplary leadership in higher education, recognizing creative solutions to common challenges faced by institutions. Recipients have demonstrated successful efforts to meet internal and external demands, whether those stem from legislative bodies, public policy, accreditation agencies, or institutional strategic goals.

Khaladjan International Award for Innovation in Higher Education

Recipient: Graduate Theological Union – Berkeley This award recognizes global innovation in higher education. Recipients have implemented groundbreaking programs with wide-reaching impact, whether through teaching methods, widening access to education, or the innovative use of technology to deepen student learning. Named for Nikolai N. Khaladjan, the founder of Moscow External University of the Humanities, this award highlights global leadership in post-secondary education.

Tosney Award for Career Service in Higher Education Leadership

Recipient: Patricia McGuire, Trinity Washington University Named for AAUA pioneer Eileen Tosney, this award is the highest individual recognition for long-term service as a higher education administrator. It is most often awarded as a career capstone to those with a national profile in leadership, having demonstrated significant contributions to the profession over at least five years of service.

McInness/Ryan Award for Mid-Career Higher Education Leadership

Recipient: Christopher Mayhorn, North Carolina State University This award honors professionals with 5 to 15 years of experience who have demonstrated leadership far beyond the norm. Named for William C. McInness, S.J., and Edmund G. Ryan, S.J., this award recognizes those whose professional accomplishments and ethical leadership mark them as standout figures in higher education administration.

The MacVittie Emerging Leader Award

Recipient: Jeffrey Fairbrother Named for Robert W. MacVittie, the association’s first elected president, this award recognizes up-and-coming leaders in higher education who have demonstrated extraordinary potential in their early years of administrative service, particularly those below the vice-presidential level.

The King Award for Outstanding College/University Trustee Leadership

Recipient: Russell Noles, Metropolitan State University – Denver Named after Dan L. King, former AAUA executive, this award is given to a trustee whose commitment to higher education and leadership demonstrates the highest ethical standards. The award recognizes those who have made significant contributions to their institutions from the trustee level.

Neuner Award for Excellence in Professional Scholarly Publication

This award, named for Jerome L. Neuner, AAUA’s longest-serving board member and two-time president, is presented to authors of the finest manuscripts published in the Journal of Higher Education Management. The award criteria include scholarly quality, relevance to current higher education issues, and contributions to leadership and institutional management.

Publications and Recipients:

  • A Hybrid Model of an Essential and Fulfilling Christine Cavanaugh and John Cavanaugh
  • Perceptions of Collegial and UnCollegial Behaviors After a University Consolidation: A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of How Faculty Viewed Members of Their New Academic Units Jennifer Lemanski, Joane Rampersad, Dora Saavedra, Shawn P. Saladin, Kristine Wirts
  • This Would Not Count: Do Institutions of Higher Education Support Faculty as Public Intellectuals Joshua Childs, Yvonne Taylor, Zach Taylor
  • Future Scenarios: A Powerful Tool for Envisioning Change Julie Wollman, Andrew Dalik, Tom Gutman, Theresa Kevorkian

Donald A. Gatzke Dissertation Award

Recipients: Mary Cutia-Pluff, Research Advisor: Carol Anderson-Woo Dissertation Title: A Delphi Study of Possible, Probable, and Desirable Futures at 4-Year U.S. Higher Education Institutions by 2035. This award recognizes the best doctoral dissertation in higher education, with a focus on research quality, relevance, and impact on the field.

Leo and Margaret Malamuth Dissertation Award

Recipient: Michael John Pennington, Research Advisor: Dan King Dissertation Title: The Perceptions of Senior Administrators on the Role of Mentorship in the Development of Higher Education Professional Staff This award recognizes outstanding doctoral research in higher education administration, highlighting both academic rigor and practical relevance.

A special thank you to the Lumina Foundation, Association of Chief Academic Officers , and Montclair State University for underwriting the dinner.

AAUA congratulates all of this year’s award recipients! Your work exemplifies the highest standards of leadership, scholarship, and innovation in higher education