Scott Goodnight Award for Outstanding Performance as a Dean*

Supporting the Profession VP for Student Affairs
Award Type: national

This award, named for NASPA’s founding Chair of the Board of Directors (1919-1920) and former dean of men at the University of Wisconsin, is presented to a Dean* who has demonstrated sustained professional achievement in student affairs work, innovative response in meeting students' varied and emerging needs, effectiveness in developing staff, and leadership in community and college or university affairs. The award recipient must also have earned stature among and support of students, faculty, and fellow administrators on campus, and made significant contributions to the field through publications or involvement in professional associations.

*Dean refers to any title that denotes the lead student affairs officer on campus.

The 2025 Scott Goodnight Award for Outstanding Performance as a Dean is accepting nominations from July 31, 2024 through October 9, 2024.

NOMINATE

Award Criteria

  • Extended length of service to student affairs profession and as a VPSA or equivalent. Evaluated by years of service to the profession and as a VPSA or equivalent.

  • Strategic and innovative in providing programs and services to students. Evaluated by how often nominee demonstrates commitment to seeking strategic and innovative practices.

  • Exemplary supervisory, managerial, and administrative skills. Evaluated by illustrations of multiple examples of supervisory, managerial, and administrative skills in the nominee’s work.

  • Collaborative, effective, and inspirational leadership in greater campus and community affairs. Evaluated by illustrations of multiple examples of leadership in campus and community affairs.

  • Engagement with NASPA. Evaluated by breadth and depth of engagement across multiple opportunities within NASPA.

  • Establishes a culture of engagement with NASPA as foundational to professional development within the home institution. Evaluated by illustrations of encouragement and support for both individual colleague and institutional engagement with NASPA.

  • Extended service as a VPSA at a single institution OR Experience in varied institution types/circumstances. All nominees must have at least 10 years of experience as a VPSA at a single institution OR VPSA experience at two or more institution/types circumstances.

2024 Current Recipients

2024 | Amy Hecht

Vice President for Student Affairs
Florida State University

2024 | Lisa Cooper Wilkins

Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs
City College of San Francisco

Past Recipients

Anna Gonzalez Headshot

Anna Gonzalez, Ph.D.

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Washington University in St. Louis
Board Chair

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2022 | Lorena Checa Headshot

2022 | Lorena Checa

Scott Goodnight Award for Outstanding Performance as a Dean*

Vice President for Student Affairs
California State University San Marcos

2022 | W. Houston Dougharty Headshot

2022 | W. Houston Dougharty

Scott Goodnight Award for Outstanding Performance as a Dean*

Vice President of Student Affairs
Hofstra University

2021 | Lisa Erwin

2021 | Scott Goodnight Award for Outstanding Performance as a Dean

Vice Chancellor for Student Life
University of Minnesota-Duluth

2021 | Dr. Kimberly Lowry

2021 | Scott Goodnight Award for Outstanding Performance as a Dean

Director of Leadership Initiatives for the College Excellence Program
The Aspen Institute.

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Pennington Headshot

2020 | Karen L. Pennington

2020 Scott Goodnight Award for Outstanding Performance as a Dean

Vice President for Student Development and Campus Life
Montclair State University

Telles-Irvin Headshot Update

2020 | Patricia E. Telles-Irvin

2020 Scott Goodnight Award for Outstanding Performance as a Dean and John L. Blackburn Distinguished Pillar of the Profession Award

Vice President for Student Affairs (posthumous)
Northwestern University

2019 | Berenecea Johnson Eanes

Vice President For Student Affairs
California State University, Fullerton

2018 | Linda Clement

Vice President for Student Affairs
University of Maryland

2018 | Cedric B. Howard

Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services
SUNY Fredonia

2017 | Frank P. Ardaiolo

Vice President of Student Life
Winthrop University

2017 | Henry Gee

Foundation Board Member

Former Vice President of Student Affairs
Rio Hondo College

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2016 | Tom Dougan

Vice President for Student Affairs
University of Rhode Island

2021 | Lorena Checa
2021 | W. Houston Dougharty
2020 | Karen Pennington
2020 | Patricia Telles-Irvin
2019 | Berenecea Johnson Eanes
2018 | Linda Clement
2018 | Cedric B. Howard
2017 | Frank P. Ardaiolo
2017 | Henry Gee
2016 | Tom Dougan
2015 | Ellen Neufeldt 
2015 | Prakash Mathew
2014 | Karin Edwards
2014 | Raymond Heath
2013 | Raymound Franco
2013 | Patricia A. Whitely
2012 | Gage Paine
2011 | Dennis A. Pruitt 
2010 | Barbara Synder
2009 | Zenobia Lawrence Hikes*
2008 | Michael L. Jackson
2007 | Keith Miser 

2006 | Larry D. Roper
2005 | Richard McKaig 
2004 | Johnetta Cross Brazzell
2003 | J. Malon Southerland
2002 | Thomas Miller
2001 | Judith M. Chambers
2000 | James C. Hurst
1999 | Lyle Gohn
1998 | Gary Widmar
1997 | William R. Butler
1996 | Linda L. Dayton
1995 | Anne E. Golseth
1994 | Carol A. Wiggins
1993 | Alice R. Manicur
1992 | Donald Adams
1991 | John J. Koldus
1990 | Carl E. Anderson
1990 | Arthur Sandeen
1989 | Jo Anee J. Trow
1989| Glen T. Nygreen
1988 | James W. Lyons
1987 | James Rhatigan
1986 | William L. "Bud" Thomas

1986 | William L. "Bud" Thomas
1985 | Thomas Edwards
1985 | John D. Jones
1984 | Banks C. Talley
1984 | John W. Truitt
1983 | Robert Etheridge
1982 | Howard Crosby
1982 | Lyle Edmison
1981 | David L. Harris
1980 | Byron Atkinson
1980 | Robert W. Chick
1979 | Everett M. Chandler
1978 | John L. Blackburn
1976 | Thomas B. Dutton
1974 | Jean B. Walton
1973 | Robert H. Shaffer
1972 | Arleigh Williams
1971 | William Tate
1970 | Armour J. Blackburn
1970 | John U. Monro
1968 | Fred H. Turner
1966 | William H. Cowley
1966 | Esther M. Lloyd Jones