Each year at its annual meeting, the National  Communication Association presents awards for outstanding scholarship, teaching, professional service, and other marks of achievement. NCA awards are supported by endowed funds and are presented in a general session at the annual convention. The following calls for nominations are issued for NCA awards. Information about awards sponsored by units of NCA can be found in subsequent issues of Spectra and unit newsletters.

The deadline to ensure a nomination is evaluated is May 1. Awards are reserved for NCA members. Recipients’ names are added to plaques located at the National Office. Click here for selection committee names and addresses.

The Samuel L. Becker Distinguished Service Award was first presented in 1971 to recognize a lifetime of outstanding service to the association and to the profession. The recipient of the Becker Distinguished Service Award will receive a plaque.

Selection Criteria: The Selection Committee will evaluate nominations of individuals who have made outstanding contributions to both NCA and the profession. The award will be presented to the person judged to have made the greatest contribution to the association and to the profession during her or his career.

Nomination Procedures: Nominations must be sent to the selection committee chair by someone well acquainted with the nominee’s qualifications. Self-nominations are encouraged. The nomination must include a cover letter stating why the person should be recognized by the association for distinguished service to NCA and to the profession, the nominee’s vita, and letters of recommendation from three persons familiar with the nominee’s qualifications.

In 1996-97, Bernard J. Brommel, one of the pioneers in the area of family communication, contributed $10,000 to an NCA restricted fund to create an award to recognize outstanding scholarship or distinguished service in family communication. The recipient of the award will receive a plaque and a cash award.

Selection Criteria: The purpose of the award is to recognize an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the area of family communication. This contribution may include research published in scholarly publications or leadership in instructional areas. Scholarship is broadly defined to include the spectrum of scholarly writing found in articles published in any NCA journal or by NCA members publishing in major research journals sponsored by other associations or organizations, or in book or monograph form.

This award can also be given to someone who has made an outstanding contribution over a period of years to family communication through leadership, teaching, or promoting the area of family communication at the local, regional, or national level. The award could also be given to someone who combines both scholarly contributions and instructional leadership.

Nomination Procedures: Nominations must be sent to the chair by someone well acquainted with the scholarship. Self-nominations are encouraged. Nominations for the award should consist of a cover letter specifying the leadership, instructional or scholarly role that the candidate has achieved. Document scholarly activities with the publishing or journal name(s), publication dates and three copies or examples of the scholarship. These will not be returned. Document leadership or instructional achievements with information about the contributions. Letters recommending the person for the award should be limited to two pages; provide a detailed rationale for why the person should receive the award; the vita of the person being nominated; and up to three letters supporting the nomination.

In 1994, Leslie Irene Coger contributed $10,000 to an NCA restricted reserve fund to create an award to recognize a career dedicated to performance. The award was first presented in 1994. The recipient of the award will receive a plaque and a cash award.

Selection Criteria: The Selection Committee is responsible for evaluating nominations of NCA members who have contributed an outstanding body of live performances. The award may be given to directors, producers, teachers or performers. The award will normally be given for a body of performance or an outstanding career in performance. It may in exceptional cases be given to performers of a single or a smaller body of performance.

Nomination Procedures: Nominations must be sent to the selection committee chair by someone well acquainted with the scholarship. Self-nominations are encouraged. The nomination should consist of a cover letter recommending the person for the award, limited to two pages and providing a detailed rationale for why the person should receive the award; the vita of the person being nominated; and up to three letters supporting the nomination.

The Community College Outstanding Educator Award was formerly a unit award given by the NCA Community College Section. An endowed fund was created based on an association-wide fund-raising effort by the Community College Section in 1993. The award became association-wide in 1993, with the first presentation made in 1994. The recipient is presented with a plaque and a cash award.

Selection Criteria: The Selection Committee is charged with assessing nominations of NCA members who have made outstanding contributions to education at community colleges and who exemplify excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service to the speech communication profession.

Nominees must have a minimum of five years teaching experience at a community college and must be teaching at a community college at the time of nomination.

Nomination Procedures: Nominations must be sent to the selection committee chair by someone well acquainted with the nominee’s qualifications. Self-nominations are encouraged. The nomination should consist of a two-page cover letter recommending the person for the award and providing a detailed rationale why the person should receive the award; the vita of the person being nominated; and up to three letters supporting the nomination.

In 1987, the NCA Golden Anniversary Book Award was discontinued, and all book award nominations were directed to the Winans-Wichelns Award Selection Committee. In 1991, the Administrative Committee recognized that, given the restrictions on the selection criteria for the Winans-Wichelns Award, books on subjects other than rhetoric and public address were not recognized by existing NCA awards. The Diamond Anniversary Book Award was created in response to this conclusion. The recipient(s) of the award will receive a plaque and a $500 award, to be shared in the case of multiple authors.

Selection Criteria: The Selection Committee is responsible for evaluating nominations and will select the most outstanding scholarly book published during the last two years.

Nomination Procedures: Nominations must be sent to the selection committee chair. Self-nominations are encouraged. The nomination must include a cover letter stating why the book is deserving of recognition and three copies of the book (the copies will not be returned). Materials supporting the excellence of the book (e.g., reviews, other awards) may be submitted, but are not required.

The Donald H. Ecroyd Award for Outstanding Teaching in Higher Education is given to honor an NCA member who exemplifies superlative teaching in higher education. The recipient of the award will receive a plaque and a cash award.

Selection Criteria: The Selection Committee is responsible for evaluating nominations of qualified individuals. Such nominees must hold a master’s degree or higher in the speech communication discipline; must hold a full-time teaching assignment at an institute of higher education at the time of nomination; and must have a superlative teaching record.

Nomination Procedures: Nominations must be sent to the selection committee chair by someone well acquainted with the nominee’s qualifications. Self-nominations are encouraged.

The nomination must include a cover letter recommending the person for the award, limited to two pages and providing a detailed rationale for why the person should receive the award; the nominee’s vita; up to three letters supporting the nomination; detailed lists of the nominee’s achievements as a teacher, as a member of his/her profession, and as a member of the campus and community; written statements which are both descriptive and evaluative reports, by present and former students, colleagues in the nominee’s academic discipline, campus administrators, and others qualified to comment upon the nominee’s teaching and related contributions.

The Douglas W. Ehninger Award was created in 1986 upon the creation of an endowment by the Ehninger family. The recipient of the Douglas W. Ehninger Award will receive a plaque and cash award.

Selection Criteria: The Douglas W. Ehninger Distinguished Rhetorical Scholar Award honors scholars who have executed research programs in rhetorical theory, rhetorical criticism and/or public address studies. The award is given to a person who, through multiple publications and presentations around a rhetorical topic or theme, demonstrates intellectual creativity, perseverance, and impact on academic communities.

Nomination Procedures: Nominations must be sent to the selection committee chair by someone well acquainted with the nominee’s qualifications. Self-nominations are encouraged. The nomination must include a cover letter stating why the person should be recognized with the Ehninger Award; the nominee’s vita; and letters of recommendation from up to three persons familiar with the nominee’s qualifications.

The Golden Anniversary Monograph Awards were created to mark NCA’s 50th Anniversary in 1964. Originally, awards were given to monographs and to books. The book award is now recognized by the Diamond Anniversary Book Award. Up to three awards may be given in any year. The recipient(s) of the Golden Anniversary Monograph Award will receive a plaque and up to $200, to be shared in the cases of multiple authors of a monograph.

Selection Criteria: The Selection Committee is responsible for evaluating the most outstanding scholarly monograph published during the previous calendar year. Monographs or articles may be in any of the areas of the communication arts and sciences.

Nomination Procedures: Nominations must be sent to the selection committee chair by someone well acquainted with the monograph. Self-nominations are encouraged. The nomination should consist of a cover letter specifying the publisher or journal name, the publication date, and a detailed rationale for why the article should receive the award; and six copies of the monograph.

The Franklyn S. Haiman Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Freedom of Expression was originally established by the NCA Commission on Freedom of Expression as the Herbert A. Wichelns Freedom of Speech Award in 1976. The name of the award was changed to the Haiman Award in 1988 and to the Franklyn S. Haiman Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Freedom of Expression in 1990. The award became association-wide in 1992. The recipient of the award will receive a plaque and a cash award.

Selection Criteria: The Selection Committee is responsible for evaluating nominations of outstanding published research on freedom of expression. Although the award is an annual award, it may be given to authors of scholarship published over the prior three years, as determined by the copyright date.

The content criteria to be used for the award selection procedures will be the vitality and importance of the subject, the calculated impact of the study upon its audience, the quality of composition, and the enduring value of the scholarship.

Nomination Procedures: Nominations must be sent to the selection committee chair by someone well acquainted with the monograph. Self-nominations are encouraged. The nomination should consist of a cover letter specifying the publisher or journal name, the publication date, a detailed rationale for why the article should receive the award, and six copies of the monograph.

In 1987, Margaret Davidson contributed funds to NCA to create an award in the area of interpretation and performance, and carrying the name of Lilla A. Heston. The recipient of the award will receive a plaque and a cash award.

Selection Criteria: The Selection Committee is responsible for evaluating nominations of NCA members who have published research and creative scholarship in interpretation and performance studies. The award is given to authors of scholarship published during the previous three-year period. The date of copyright of the published material will serve as the date of publication.

Nomination Procedures: Nominations must be sent to the selection committee chair by someone well acquainted with the scholarship. Self-nominations are encouraged. The nomination should consist of a cover letter specifying the scholarship (e.g., publisher or journal name, publication date); a detailed rationale for why the scholarship should receive the award; and when possible, three copies or examples of the scholarship.

The award was created in 1978 to honor Robert J. Kibler. It was first presented in 1979. The award was designed to recognize those qualities epitomized by his professional and personal life. These qualities include dedication to excellence, commitment to the profession, concern for others, vision of what could be, acceptance of diversity and forthrightness.

Selection Criteria: The Selection Committee will evaluate nominations of NCA members who have demonstrated dedication to excellence, commitment to the profession, concern for others, vision of what could be, acceptance of diversity and forthrightness.

Nomination Procedures: Nominations must be sent to the selection committee chair by someone well acquainted with the nominee’s qualifications. Self-nominations are encouraged.

The nomination must include a cover letter stating why the person should be recognized with the Kibler Award; the nominee’s vita; and letters of recommendation from up to three persons familiar with the nominee’s qualifications.

The Lifetime Teaching Excellence Award was created by the Legislative Council in 1991. The Award was created to recognize the teaching excellence of retired college and university faculty members.

The Lifetime Teaching Excellence Award provides an opportunity to recognize outstanding teaching by retired NCA members from any grade level from kindergarten through graduate; NCA members who are not currently engaged in full-time teaching; and/or NCA members who have demonstrated a long term commitment to teaching.

Selection Criteria: Members of the Selection Committee are responsible for evaluating the nominations of NCA members who have exhibited a lifetime of dedication to distinguished teaching.

Nomination Procedures: Nominations must be sent to the selection committee chair by someone well acquainted with the nominee’s qualifications. Self-nominations are encouraged. The nomination must include a cover letter stating why the person should be recognized by the association for distinguished teaching in higher education; the nominee’s vita or resume; letters of recommendation from three persons familiar with the nominee’s qualifications; and documentation of teaching excellence.

The Gerald R. Miller Outstanding Dissertation Awards program was created in 1970 to recognize new scholars who have recently completed their dissertation. The recipient(s) of the Miller Dissertation Award will receive a plaque and a cash award.

Selection Criteria: The Selection Committee will evaluate nominations and select the most outstanding dissertations completed in the field during the previous academic year (from July 1, 1999 to June 30, 2000). Up to three awards may be given in any year.

Nomination Procedures: Nominations must be sent to the selection committee chair by a faculty member from the department in which the dissertation was completed. The nomination package must consist of a cover letter written by the dissertation advisor or department chair; seven copies of a 500 word (maximum) abstract of the dissertation; seven copies of an article-length report of the dissertation (30 double-spaced pages maximum) or one selection from the dissertation that the applicant thinks is most representative of the dissertation (30 double-spaced pages maximum); and three complete copies of the dissertation (the copies will be returned following the evaluation).

This award is sponsored by the NCA Educational Policies Board and has been given since 1987. This award was named and funded by the Marcella Oberle Memorial Award Fund in 1989. The recipient of the award will receive a plaque and a cash award.

Selection Criteria: The Selection Committee should evaluate nominations of NCA members who teach on the Kindergarten through Senior High School level and who have exhibited both outstanding teaching and a commitment to the speech communication profession and to teaching. The nominee must be considered “an outstanding teacher” by supervisors, colleagues and students.

Nomination Procedures: Nominations must be sent to the selection committee chair by someone well acquainted with the nominee’s qualifications. Self-nominations are encouraged. The nomination must include a cover letter stating why the person should be recognized by the association for distinguished teaching in grades K-12; the nominee’s vita; and letters of recommendation from three persons familiar with the nominee’s qualifications.

The Gerald M. Phillips Award for Distinguished Applied Communication Scholarship was created in 1993 and first presented in 1994. The award is supported by the Gerald M. Phillips Award Fund. The recipient of the award will receive a plaque and a cash award.

Selection Criteria: The Selection Committee will evaluate nominations of NCA members responsible for authoring bodies of published research and creative scholarship in applied communication. The body of scholarship recognized by the award may be published in any journals, books, or monographs, or published in other than print media, such as but not limited to film, video tape, audio tape, or radio.

Nomination Procedures: Nominations must be sent to the selection committee chair by someone well acquainted with the nominee’s qualifications. Self-nominations are encouraged. The nomination must include a 1-2 page statement detailing why the person should be recognized with the Phillips Award; the nominee’s vita; letters of recommendation from three persons familiar with the nominee’s qualifications; and samples of the scholarship that is proposed to be honored.  Nominators should submit three copies of the nomination packet.  The submitted material will not be returned once the deliberations have ended.

The award was established by Mrs. Wallace and the family of the late distinguished rhetorical scholar, and is given to foster and promote philosophical, historical, or critical scholarship in rhetoric and public discourse. The recipient of the award will receive a plaque and a grant-in-aid from the Wallace Award Fund.

Selection Criteria: Nominees should be NCA members who have completed the Ph.D. within the past ten years or who are well advanced in doctoral studies in rhetoric and public address.

Nomination Procedures: Nominations must be sent to the selection committee chair by someone well acquainted with the nominee’s qualifications. Self-nominations are encouraged.

Nominations should include a brief, factual account of the nominee’s education and scholarly preparation and achievement to date, including publications, convention papers, learned or scholarly conferences participated in, and other scholarly activity conducted or in progress; an explicit description of the uses to which the applicant proposes to put the grant-in-aid, including a clear definition and sketch of the research project or other scholarly undertaking to be served; and endorsements from not more than three persons well acquainted with the applicant and the relevant field of scholarship and competent to assess the worth of the undertaking and the applicant’s achievement and potential in rhetorical scholarship.

The award and fund were established by students, colleagues and admirers of those two distinguished Cornell University professors. The award honors distinguished scholarship in rhetoric and public address.

Selection Criteria: The Selection Committee is responsible for evaluating nominations of scholarship that has been published by NCA members from April through March of the previous year. Works are nominated by individuals and by presses. “Edited” books are not considered.

Nomination Procedures: Nominations must be sent to the selection committee chair. Self-nominations are encouraged. The nomination must include a cover letter stating why the scholarship is deserving of recognition; and three copies of the materials. Evidence supporting the excellence of the scholarship may be submitted, but is not required.

This Award is named in honor of one of the field’s earliest and most distinguished social scientists.

Selection Criteria: The Selection Committee is responsible for evaluating nominations of journal articles or book chapters which have stood the test of time and which have become stimuli for new conceptualizations of communication phenomena. When first published, the article or chapter to be honored may well not have been seen to be as heuristic as it later becomes. Thus, the award will be reserved for articles which at the time of the award are in their tenth through fifteenth year in print and which have not previously received an NCA-sponsored award.

Nomination Procedures: Nominations must be sent to the selection committee chair. Self-nominations are encouraged. The nomination must include a cover letter stating why the scholarship is deserving of recognition and five copies of the scholarship. Materials supporting the excellence of the scholarship may be submitted, but are not required.