2024 Call for NCA National Award Nominations

May 15, 2024

Members are invited to submit nominations for the following awards. Nominations, unless specified, must be submitted through the NCA nomination portal. Please read the applicable call for more information. Deadline for all nominations is May 15.

Award descriptions, nomination criteria, and submission information can be found by clicking on the name of award below. All nominees will be informed of the results in September and celebrated at the 110th Annual Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana.

All NCA Awards must be submitted via an online platform and all letter(s) of recommendation will be completed via the online portal. The submitter of the nomination will have the opportunity to provide recommender contact information in the nomination portal.

If prompted, the submitter of the nomination must submit a high-definition headshot for nominee(s). Headshots will NOT be shared with award selection committees. Award winner headshots will be used for promotional dissemination and during the awards ceremony.

Questions about the award process can be sent to nomination@natcom.org.

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Awards for Outstanding Teaching

Donald H. Ecroyd Award for Outstanding Teaching in Higher Education

The award is given to honor an NCA member who exemplifies superlative teaching in higher education. Nominees must hold a master's degree or higher in the Communication discipline; hold a full-time teaching assignment at an institute of higher education at the time of nomination; and have a superlative teaching record. The award is given for excellence in teaching. Professional achievement as evidenced by research and creative scholarship or service to campus and community shall not be a substitute for this basic requirement. Nominees should be actively involved in other professional activities (e.g., academic advising, forensics, NCA, regional or state offices, community service).

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and a monetary award of $500.

Nominations must be sent by someone well acquainted with the nominee’s qualifications. Self-nominations are also encouraged.

The nomination must include the following materials:

A nomination 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 curriculum vitae or resume that includes detailed reference to the nominee's achievements as a teacher, as a member of his/her profession, and as a member of the campus and community. Should the vitae not provide such information, supplementary materials may be appended.
Three letters of recommendation supporting the nomination. Letters must be submitted separately by the recommenders through the nomination portal.
Documentation, including written evaluations, both from students and from faculty, indicating excellence in teaching. This should include:
- Detailed lists of the nominee's achievements as a teacher, a member of his/her profession, and a member of the campus and community.
- Written statements, both descriptive and evaluative, 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.

Submission Information
All nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Committee Members
NCA Teaching and Learning Council:
Katherine Thweatt, Chair, State University of New York, Oswego
Qingwen Dong, University of the Pacific
Jon A. Hess, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Sandy Pensoneau-Conway, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
David A. Yastremski, Ridge High School
Badu Smith, San Francisco State University
Shauntae White, North Carolina Central University

Marcella E. Oberle Award for Outstanding Teaching in Grades K–12

The award recognizes teachers in kindergarten through senior high school level who have exhibited both outstanding teaching and a commitment to the communication profession. The nominee must be considered "an outstanding teacher" by supervisors, colleagues, and students and must be committed to high standards and quality education and utilize innovative and/or exemplary teaching practices. The nominee is also expected to perform community service activities, contribute favorably to the speech communication profession, and have helped make speech communication an integral part of his/her school district.

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and monetary award of $500.

Nominations must be submitted by someone well acquainted with the nominee’s qualifications. Self-nominations are also encouraged.

The nomination must include the following materials:

A cover letter stating why the person should be recognized.
The nominee’s curriculum vitae or resume.
Three letters of recommendation from people familiar with the nominee’s qualifications. Letters must be submitted separately by the recommenders through the nomination portal.

Submission Information
All nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Michael and Suzanne Osborn Community College Outstanding Educator Award

This award recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution through teaching at a community college. Nominees must be 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 and have a minimum of five years of teaching experience at a community college.

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony at the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and a monetary award of $500.

All nominations shall be made by someone familiar with the nominee's qualifications. Self-nominations are also encouraged. Nominees must be current members of NCA.

The nomination must include the following materials:

A nomination letter stating why the person should be recognized by NCA.
The nominee’s curriculum vitae or resume.
Three letters of recommendation from people familiar with the nominee's qualifications. Letters must be submitted separately by the recommenders through the nomination portal.
Materials demonstrating evidence of excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service to the profession.

Submission Information
All nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Wallace A. Bacon Lifetime Teaching Excellence Award

The Wallace A. Bacon Lifetime Teaching Excellence Award recognizes outstanding teaching at any academic level, including kindergarten through graduate school, by retired NCA members or NCA members not currently engaged in full-time teaching who have demonstrated a long-term commitment to distinguished teaching. Nominees, who must be a member of NCA at the time the nomination, are individuals who have exhibited a lifetime of dedication to distinguished teaching. A lifetime is operationally defined as at least 25 years of documented teaching excellence. Distinguished teaching should be demonstrated by outstanding instruction in the cognitive, motivational, and skill developments of students; the development of the intellectual independence, growth, and development of students; and the ability to impart knowledge about a course of study, with the specific ability to create an understanding and appreciation of the full scope and meaning of the discipline of communication in a teacher's area of specialization.

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and monetary award of $500.

Nominations must be submitted by someone well acquainted with the nominee’s qualifications. Self-nominations are also encouraged. Nominees must be current members of NCA.

The nomination must include the following material:

A nomination letter stating why the person should be recognized by the Association for distinguished teaching.
The nominee's curriculum vitae or resume.
Three letters of recommendation from people familiar with the nominee's qualifications. Letters must be submitted separately by the recommenders through the nomination portal.

Submission Information
All nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Awards for Outstanding Scholarship

Bernard J. Brommel Award for Outstanding Scholarship or Distinguished Service in Family Communication

The award recognizes NCA members who have demonstrated outstanding scholarship or distinguished service in family communication. Contribution to the area of family communication 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 also can be given to someone who combines both scholarly contributions and instructional leadership.

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and a monetary award of $500.

Nominations must be submitted by someone well acquainted with the scholarship. Self-nominations are encouraged. Nominees must be current members of NCA.

The nomination must include the following material:

A nomination letter specifying the leadership, instructional or scholarly role that the candidate has achieved.
The nominee's curriculum vitae or resume.
Documentation of scholarly activities with the publisher or journal name(s), publication dates, and copies or examples of the scholarship (copies will not be returned).
Three letters recommendation, limited to two pages and providing a detailed rationale for why the person should receive the award. Letters must be submitted separately by the recommenders through the nomination portal.

Submission Information
All nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Committee Members
Alexis Johnson, Chair, Arkansas Tech University
Amy Janan Johnson, University of Oklahoma
Maureen Keeley, Texas State University

Charles H. Woolbert Research Award

The award recognizes a journal article or book chapter whose influence has grown with time, has become a stimulus for new conceptualizations of communication phenomena, and is reflective of the diversity of the discipline and its scholarly pursuits. Thus, the award will be reserved for an article or book chapter that at the time of the award is at least in its 10th year in print.

Preference will be given to nominations supporting original scholarship in NCA journals or book chapters in communication-based edited volumes. Nominations will be considered for two years.

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and monetary award for $500.

A panel about the recipient’s scholarship will also take place at the NCA Annual Convention in the following year.

Nomination must be submitted by someone well acquainted with the scholarship. Self-nominations are also encouraged.

The nomination must include the following materials:

A copy of the article or chapter.
Three letters of recommendation demonstrating the article or book chapter’s influence on the field over the relevant time period. Letters must be submitted separately by the recommenders through the nomination portal.

Submission Information
All nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Committee Members
NCA Research Council:
Shaunak Sastry, Chair, University of Cincinnati
Jiyoung Lee, Sungkyunkwan University
Annette D. Madlock, Sister Circle Writers
Paul Schrodt, Texas Christian University
Benjamin Warner, University of Missouri
Jason Edward Black, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Wendy Atkins-Sayre, University of Memphis

Diamond Anniversary Book Award

The award recognizes the most outstanding scholarly book published during the previous calendar year based on the copyright date of the book. For the 2024 award, books with a 2023 copyright are eligible. In selecting the recipient for this award, “outstanding scholarship” shall include, but not necessarily be restricted to:

The generation of research judged to be critical to the discipline of communication
Dedication to excellence in the conception and method guiding the analysis
The presentation of findings that generate new insights and understandings regarding communication
Explicit sensitivity to the potential uses and value of the analysis for others in areas such as research, teaching, and application

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and monetary award for $500.

Only current individual members of NCA can nominate books for the award, including self-nominations. Self-nominations are encouraged. Nominees must be active members of NCA at the time of nomination.

Submission Information

You must complete the online nomination form online AND mail seven physical copies of the book to the NCA National Office.

The nomination must include the following materials:

A cover letter stating why the book is deserving of recognition (Submitted electronically).
Seven physical copies of the book. Not required for online submission but must be mailed to the National Office (Copies will not be returned).
Materials supporting the excellence of the book (e.g., reviews, other awards) may be submitted, but are not required (Submitted electronically).

Send all seven physical copies of the book to the NCA National Office for distribution to the Selection Committee.

National Communication Association
Attn: Diamond Anniversary Book Award
1765 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036

Physical copies of the book must arrive at the National Office by Friday, May 31.

Committee Members
Bernadette Calafell, Gonzaga University
Caitlin Bruce, University of Pittsburgh
Maria Blevins, Utah Valley University
Jae-Hwa Shin, University of Southern Mississippi
Amy Johnson, University of Oklahoma
Heather Hayes, University of Alabama

Donald P. Cushman Memorial Award

The award recognizes excellence in honoring the top-ranked student-authored paper from any unit that competitively ranks papers for programming at the NCA Annual Convention.

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and monetary award of $500.

Submission Information

Nominations are not received from the membership or general public for this specific award. All potential student paper nominations go through the convention review process. Nominations then are submitted by the Program Chairperson/planner of each interest group that competitively ranks student-authored papers. Planners are encouraged to submit their interest group’s top student paper. Interest groups need not give an interest group-based top student paper award to be eligible to submit a nominee.

To nominate the top-ranked student paper, each planner must submit through the NCA website. No author identification should appear in the paper or title page.

Materials required:

Student paper with no author identification.

All nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Committee Members
Elizabeth Hintz, University of Connecticut
Shweta Srivastava, Monmouth College
Stephen Warren, Northeastern University
Stephanie Wideman, University of Indianapolis
Meta Carstarphen, University of Oklahoma
Stephen Klien, University of Missouri

Douglas W. Ehninger Distinguished Rhetorical Scholar Award

The award honors distinguished scholars who have executed research programs in rhetorical theory, rhetorical criticism, or public address studies. The award is given to an NCA member who, through multiple publications and presentations around a rhetorical topic or theme, demonstrates intellectual creativity, perseverance, and impact on academic communities.

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and monetary award of $500.

Nominations must be submitted by someone well acquainted with the scholarship. Self-nominations are also encouraged. Nominees must be current members of NCA.

The nomination must include the following materials:

A nomination letter stating why the nominee should be awarded the Douglas W. Ehninger Distinguished Rhetorical Scholar Award.
The nominee’s curriculum vitae.
Three letters of recommendation from people familiar with the nominee’s qualifications. Letters must be submitted separately by the recommenders through the nomination portal.

Submission Information
All nominations for this award must be submitted as a PDF through the NCA website.

Committee Members
José Ángel Maldonado, Pennsylvania State University
Natalie Fixmer-Oraiz, University of Iowa
Nick Sciullo, Texas A&M University, Kingsville
Catherine Langford, Texas Tech University
Kristen Hoerl, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
José Izaguirre III, University of Texas, Austin
Debra Hawhee, Pennsylvania State University
Bryan McCann, Louisiana State University

Franklyn S. Haiman Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Freedom of Expression

The award recognizes outstanding published research on freedom of expression in the United States and abroad. The award may be given to authors of scholarship published over the previous three years, as determined by the copyright date. For the 2024 award, nominations must have been published in 2021 through 2023.

The body of scholarship that has appeared in the Communication and Democracy (formerly First Amendment Studies) broadly defines the spectrum of eligible scholarship. While Communication and Democracy serves as a model for defining the scope of eligible scholarship, the award also may recognize published scholarship in other journals, books, or monographs.

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and a monetary award for $500.

Nominations must be submitted by someone well acquainted with the scholarship. Self-nominations are also encouraged. Nominees must be NCA members at the time of nomination.

The nomination must include the following materials:

A nomination letter specifying the publisher or journal name, the publication date, and a detailed rationale for why the article should receive the award.
A copy of the published research.

Submission Information
All nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Committee Members
David Dewberry, Chair, Rider University
Chrys Egan, Salisbury University
Joshua Guitar, Kean University

Gerald M. Phillips Award for Distinguished Applied Communication Scholarship

The award recognizes NCA members responsible for authoring bodies of published research and creative scholarship in applied communication. The body of scholarship recognized by the award is to be broadly defined to include the spectrum of scholarship expressed by the Journal of Applied Communication Research (JACR). While JACR serves as a model for defining the scope of the award, the body of scholarship recognized may be published in any journals, books, or monographs, or published in media other than print, such as, but not limited to, film, video, audio, or radio.

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and a monetary award of $500.

Nominations must be submitted by someone well acquainted with the scholarship. Self-nominations are also encouraged. Nominees must be current members of NCA.

The nomination must include the following materials:

A nomination letter stating why the person should be recognized with the award.
The nominee’s curriculum vitae.
Three letters of recommendation from people familiar with the nominee’s qualifications. Letters must be submitted separately by the recommenders through the nomination portal.
Up to three examples of scholarship.

Submission Information
All nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Committee Members
Leandra Hernandez, Chair, University of Utah
Tara McManus, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Megan Schraedley, West Chester University

Gerald R. Miller Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award

The award recognizes outstanding dissertations of new scholars who recently completed their dissertation. Only dissertations completed in the field during the previous calendar year are eligible. For the 2024 award, dissertations need to have been completed between January 1 and December 31, 2023. Generally, a completed dissertation is one that the committee has approved (and not based on the official university graduation date).

Up to three awards may be given in any year. Typically, but not necessarily, dissertation awards are given for different areas of study or methods of inquiry. No co-authored materials will be considered.

The recipient(s) will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and a monetary award of $500.

Nominations must be submitted by a faculty member from the department in which the dissertation was completed. The Selection Committee will evaluate the nominations through a process of anonymized review. Materials should be submitted with all identifying information removed (e.g., title pages, file property information, etc.).

The nomination must include the following materials:

A 5-10 page article, double-spaced, derived from the dissertation (not counting tables, references, and appendices) summarizing research method(s), findings, conclusions, limitations and any other germane information beneficial for the review process.
A complete copy of the dissertation (minus any identifying front-end pages).

Submission Information
All nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Committee Members
Doctoral Education Committee:
Erik Garrett, Duquesne University
Laramie Taylor, University of California, Davis
Mark Hopson, Chapman University
Sergio Juarez, Loyola Marymount University
Casey Kelly, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Meghan Sanders, Louisiana State University

Global Communication Award

The Global Communication Award recognizes communication scholars who have demonstrated outstanding scholarship and notable service in the areas of global communication. Specifically, the recipient will be recognized for distinguished communication scholarship that:

De-Westernizes ways of knowing and doing.
Focuses on regions, communities, or spaces outside of the U.S. and Europe.
Integrates and cites international and global scholars, theories, approaches, and/or methodologies in their scholarship.
Amplifies the global ecologies of knowledges.

Scholarship is broadly defined to include the spectrum of scholarly writing found in a variety of academic publication outlets. Scholarship can be published in national and/or international journals, and non-English works should be translated into English.

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and a monetary award for $500.

Nominations must be submitted by someone well acquainted with the scholarship. Self-nominations are also encouraged. Nominees must be current members of NCA.

Nomination materials should be submitted as a PDF on NCA’s award submission portal by May 15th. Each nomination packet should include:

A nomination letter that provides a rationale for why the nominee should receive the award.
A maximum of three pieces of evidence of distinguished scholarship (journal articles, books) in global communication.
The nominee’s CV.
Two letters of recommendation. Letters must be submitted separately by the recommenders through the nomination portal.

Submission Information
All nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Committee Members
Santhosh Chandrashekar, Chair, University of Denver
Nthemba Mutua-Mambo, Randolph-Macon College
Somava Pande, Washington State University

Golden Anniversary Monograph Award

The Golden Anniversary Monograph Award recognizes the most outstanding scholarly monograph published during the previous calendar year based on copyright date. Monographs or articles may be in any of the areas of the communication arts and sciences. The award is intended for articles and book chapters. Any full-length books should be submitted to the Diamond Anniversary Book Award.

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and monetary award of $500.

Nominations must be submitted by someone well acquainted with the scholarship. Self-nominations are also encouraged.

The nomination must include the following materials:

A nomination letter specifying the publisher or journal name, the publication date, and a detailed rationale for why the article should receive the award.
A copy of the monograph.

Submission Information
All nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Committee Members
Patricia Davis, Georgia State University
Wei Peng, Washington State University
Stephanie Tong, Wayne State University
Raka Shome, Villanova University
Michelle Violanti, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Sumana Chattopadhyay, Marquette University

James A. Winans-Herbert A. Wichelns Memorial Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Rhetoric and Public Address

The award honors scholarship in rhetoric and public address that has been published by NCA members in the previous year based on copyright date. For the 2024 award, books published with a 2023 copyright are eligible.

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and a monetary award for $1,000.

Submission Information

You must complete the online nomination form online AND mail eight physical copies of the book to the NCA National Office.

The nomination must include the following materials:

A nomination letter stating why the book is deserving of recognition (Submitted electronically).
Seven physical copies of the book. Not required for online submission but must be mailed to the National Office (Copies will not be returned).
Materials supporting the excellence of the writing (e.g., reviews, other awards) may be submitted, but are not required (Submitted electronically).

Send eight physical copies of the book to the NCA National Office for distribution to the Selection Committee.

National Communication Association
Attn: Winans-Wichelns Memorial Award
1765 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036

Physical copies of the book must arrive at the National Office by Friday, May 31.

Committee Members
José Ángel Maldonado, University of South Florida
Natalie Fixmer-Oraiz, University of Iowa
Nick Sciullo, Texas A&M University, Kingsville
Catherine Langford, Texas Tech University
Kristen Hoerl, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
José Izaguirre III, University of Texas, Austin
Debra Hawhee, Pennsylvania State University
Bryan McCann, Louisiana State University

James L. Golden Outstanding Student Essay in Rhetoric Award

James L. Golden Outstanding Student Essay in Rhetoric Award

The James L. Golden Outstanding Student Essay in Rhetoric Award honors original essays focusing on the history, theory, or criticism of rhetoric both from undergraduates and graduate students who, at the time of submission, have not been awarded the M.A. degree. Essays will be read by a panel of three judges and will be evaluated for their contribution to the understanding of rhetorical process and outcomes, excellence of conception and grounding, weight of argument, strength of evidence, and eloquence of expression.

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and a monetary award of $1000.

The recipient will also deliver the paper in a session during the NCA Annual Convention. Submission of the paper will be taken as agreement to attend the convention. Recognition also will be given to a Laureate group of top-rated papers.

Nominations must be submitted by someone well acquainted with the scholarship. Self-nominations are also encouraged.

The nomination must include the following materials:

The essay no greater than 20 pages of double-spaced text in 12-point font (not including endnotes) with author-identification information removed.
A letter of recommendation from a faculty member familiar with the scholarship. Letter must be submitted separately by the recommenders through the nomination portal.

Essays may have been presented orally prior to submission but may not have been previously published. No more than one essay may be submitted as a solely authored or co-authored essay each year by a particular individual. In the case of multiple authors, all authors of record must be students.

Submission Information
All nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Remove all author and academic institution identification from the submitted essay.

Committee Members
Zornitsa Keremidchieva, Trustee, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
David Gore, University of Minnesota, Duluth
Karrin Anderson, Colorado State University
Kesha James, Georgia State University

Karl R. Wallace Memorial Award

The Karl R. Wallace Memorial Award is given to foster and promote philosophical, historical, or critical scholarship in rhetoric and public discourse. Nominees should be NCA members who have completed the Ph.D. within the past 10 years or who are well advanced in doctoral studies in rhetoric and public address.

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and a grant-in-aid for $1000.

Nominations must be submitted by someone well acquainted with the scholarship and academic records. Self-nominations are also encouraged. Nominees must be current members of NCA.

The nomination must include the following materials:

A curriculum vitae of the nominee’s academic record, including publications, convention papers, learned or scholarly conferences in which the nominee participated, and other scholarly activity conducted or in progress.
An explicit description to which the applicant proposes to put the grant-in-aid to use, including a clear definition and sketch of the research project or other scholarly undertaking to be served.
Three letters of recommendation from people who are well acquainted with the applicant and the relevant field of scholarship, and competent to assess the worth of the undertaking, the applicant’s achievement, and potential in rhetorical scholarship. Letters must be submitted separately by the recommenders through the nomination portal.

Submission Information
All nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Leslie Irene Coger Award for Distinguished Performance

The Leslie Irene Coger Award recognizes outstanding careers in performance. Nominees may be directors, producers, teachers, or performers and must be members of NCA. The award, in exceptional cases, may be given to performers of a single or a smaller body of performance.

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and a monetary award of $500.

Nominations must be submitted by someone well acquainted with the scholarship/body of work. Self-nominations are also encouraged. Nominees must be current members of NCA.

The nomination must include the following materials:

A nomination 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 curriculum vitae.
Three letters of recommendation from people familiar with the nominee’s qualifications. Letters must be submitted separately by the recommenders through the nomination portal.

Submission Information
All nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Committee Members
Loretta LeMaster, Chair, Arizona State University
Joshua Hamzehee, Santa Rosa Junior College
Shaunte Caraballo, California State University, Dominiguez Hills

Lilla A. Heston Award for Outstanding Scholarship in Interpretation and Performance Studies

The award recognizes NCA members who have published research and creative scholarship in interpretation and performance studies. The scholarship recognized by the award is to be broadly defined to include the spectrum of scholarship expressed by Text and Performance Quarterly (TPQ). While TPQ is to serve as a model for defining the scope of the award, the scholarship recognized by the award may be published in any NCA journal; a major research or literary journal of another association or organization; book or monograph form; or media other than a print, such as, but not limited to, live performance, film, videotape, photography, audiotape, and radio. 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.

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and monetary award of $500.

Nominations must be submitted by someone well acquainted with the scholarship. Self-nominations are also encouraged. Nominees must be current members of NCA.

The nomination must include the following materials:

A nomination letter specifying the scholarship (e.g., publisher or journal name, publication date).
A detailed rationale for why the scholarship should receive the award.
Three copies or examples of the scholarship (when possible).

Submission Information
All nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Committee Members
Loretta LeMaster, Chair, Arizona State University
Joshua Hamzehee, Santa Rosa Junior College
Shaunte Caraballo, Tennessee State University

Mark L. Knapp Award in Interpersonal Communication

The Mark L. Knapp Award in Interpersonal Communication honors career contributions to the study of interpersonal communication and recognizes individuals who have made significant scholarly contributions to the study of interaction and/or relational processes. Scholars from all methodological paradigms and backgrounds are invited to apply. The award prioritizes scholarly contributions, but the recipient also will have contributed to the quality of interpersonal communication through active involvement in the discipline, significant mentoring of students, and/or public service focused on interpersonal communication.

The criteria used in selection of the recipient include (1) overall contribution to scholarship in interpersonal communication, (2) importance of that work in extending/altering our understanding of interpersonal communication processes and outcomes, (3) the quality of the work he or she has contributed, (4) the time span of the contributions, and (5) the ways in which the person has worked to practice effective interpersonal communication through mentoring, teaching, public work, and/or service.

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the convention and will receive a plaque and monetary award for $500.

Nominations must be submitted by someone well acquainted with the nominee. Self-nominations are also encouraged.

The nomination must include the following materials:

One detailed nomination letter arguing for why the nominee ought to be recognized for the award.
The nominee’s curriculum vitae.
Three letters of recommendation from people familiar with the nominee’s qualifications. Letters must be submitted separately by the recommenders through the nomination portal.

Submission Information
All nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Committee Members
Andrew S. Rancer, University of Akron
Christina G. Yoshimura, University of Montana
Erin Brummett, Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania - Bloomsburg
Jenna McNallie, Augsburg University

Marsha Houston Award

The award honors Dr. Marsha Houston noted African American feminist communication scholar who was instrumental in helping raise and duly ensure recognition of the collective academic voices of African American women and other women of color in conventional feminist communication.

The award will be given to scholar junior to mid-level career woman scholar whose scholarship and research, teaching, service and advocacy to academe and their local communities (especially as it pertains to activism) embodies critically examining social justice issues, diversity/inclusion, equity. Diversity would include any focus on marginalized or un(der)represented populations and initiative to problem solved improve local, regional, national, or global community.

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and a monetary award of $500.

Nominations must be submitted by someone well acquainted with the nominee. Self-nominations are also encouraged.

The nomination must include the following materials:

Nomination letter no longer than one page.
The nominee’s curriculum vitae.
Documentation of Scholarly Activity.
Three letters of recommendation from people familiar with the nominee’s qualifications. Letters must be submitted separately by the recommenders through the nomination portal.

Submission Information
All nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Committee Members
Trina Wright-Dixon, Chair, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Barbara L. Baker, University of Texas, Dallas
Nickesia Gordon, Rochester Institute of Technology

Orlando L. Taylor Distinguished Scholarship Award in Africana Communication

The Orlando L. Taylor Distinguished Scholarship Award in Africana Communication recognizes a scholar whose body of work demonstrates a sustained commitment and significant, enduring contribution to the study of African American and/or the African Diaspora communication and culture. Evaluation of nominations will focus on evidence of excellent scholarly achievement, degree of originality of arguments, and evidence of impact. This award is named in honor of Orlando L. Taylor, NCA’s first African American president.

The recipient will receive a plaque and monetary award of $700.

Nominees must be current members of NCA and current or retired tenured faculty members at accredited colleges or universities. Nominations must be submitted by someone well acquainted with the scholarship. Self-nominations are encouraged.

The nomination must include the following materials:

A nomination letter specifying the scholarly contribution the nominee has made to African American and/or African Diaspora communication and culture.
The nominee’s curriculum vitae.
Three letters of recommendation from people familiar with the nominee’s qualifications. Letters must be submitted separately by the recommenders through the nomination portal.

Submission Information
All nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Selection Committee Members
Rockell Brown, Chair, Texas Southern University
Tia Tyree, Howard University
Kandace Harris, California State University Northridge

Stephen E. Lucas Debut Publication Award

The Stephen E. Lucas Debut Publication Award seeks to encourage and reward new scholars in the communication discipline. It aims to identify and hold up for praise a contribution to the discipline by an author or authors publishing their first scholarly book or essay. Scholars who have not previously received publication credit as an author or co-author of a refereed book, book chapter, or journal article (including articles in electronic-only journals) may submit their work. Book reviews, encyclopedia entries, and essays published in conference proceedings are not counted as publications regarding eligibility for this award.

To be eligible, a work must have been published during the previous calendar year. Authors who meet the eligibility criteria can be at any level of professional development, from undergraduate students to full professors. All authors of the submitted work must meet the eligibility criteria. Submissions may address any area of communication research and may employ any methodology. They will be judged on their ability to open new fields of research for the discipline, for their potential to influence research in a particular area of the discipline, and/or for their potential to become standard reading for scholars in the discipline.

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and monetary award of $1,500.

Nominations must be submitted by someone well acquainted with the scholarship. Self-nominations are encouraged.

The nomination must include the following material:

A nomination letter stating why the nominated work is deserving of the award. The letter must also include a statement attesting that the author has not received publication credit for any previous books, book chapters, or journal articles, including articles in journals outside the communication discipline.
A copy of the nominated work.
The nominee’s curriculum vitae.

Submission Information
All nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Committee Members
Kyle Christensen, Chair, Huntingdon College
Flora Khoo, Regent University
Kimberly Embacher-Martin, Rhode Island College

Awards for IDEA Initiatives

IDEA Engagement Award

The IDEA Engagement Award offers recognition for efforts and activities to engage communities in work that enhances inclusion, diversity, equity, or access. Such engagement may be evaluated by the direct impacts or effects of such engagement (measured in different ways), or on sustainability and empowerment work that ensures change over the long term. This work may reflect the application of communication theories, pedagogy, or direct action to create positive community change. Since there is another IDEA award focusing specifically on research, this award highlights activity that may be drawing on research but can also be work done teaching or directly engaging within a community. Finally, this award may offer recognition for individuals working on specific projects or for engagement and activism that reflects a more extended career of commitment.

Given the breadth and scope of IDEA, research and engagement may be focused on a variety of issues surrounding inclusion in different environments and cultures, diversity across multiple characteristics, equity in structure and human relations, and access that may be related to something physical or mental or issues of voice, presence, and agency, among others.

Recipients must be members of NCA that exhibit a strong record of research relating to inclusion, diversity, equity, or access.

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and monetary award for $500.

Nominations must be submitted by someone well acquainted with the scholarship. Self-nominations are encouraged. Nominees must be current members of NCA.

The nomination must include the following materials:

A nomination letter stating why the person should be recognized.
The nominee’s curriculum vitae (CV).
No less than one and no more than three letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with your qualifications. Letters must be submitted separately by the recommenders through the nomination portal.

Submission Information
All nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Committee Members
IDEA Council:
James L. Cherney, Chair, University of Nevada, Reno
Anjuli J. Brekke, University of Washington
Lisa Calvente, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Elizabeth Desnoyers-Colas, Georgia Southern University
Deryl Johnson, Kutztown University
Liahnna Stanley, Arizona State University
Julie-Ann Scott-Pollock, University of North Carolina, Wilmington
Aya Diab, University of South Florida
Badu Smith, San Francisco State University

IDEA Scholarship Award

The IDEA Scholarship Award offers recognition for scholarly engagement with inclusion, diversity, equity, and access. Such engagement may be evaluated for the depth and development of an extended research program, or on the impact of ideas and innovation on the discipline, or both. There are no methodological or paradigmatic preferences identified as prerequisites for this award, as these issues transcend much of the human experience. Since there is another IDEA Award focused on community engagement, this award is more explicitly about research, the diffusion and importance of a research program, and bringing new insight and understanding to the discipline.

Given the breadth and scope of IDEA, research may be focused on a variety of issues surrounding inclusion in different environments and cultures, diversity across multiple characteristics, equity in structure and human relations, and access that may be related to something physical or mental or issues of voice, presence, and agency, among others.

Requirements: Recipients must be members of NCA that exhibit a strong record of research relating to inclusion, diversity, equity, or access.

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and monetary award for $500.

Nominations must be submitted by someone well acquainted with the scholarship. Self-nominations are encouraged. Nominees must be current members of NCA.

The nomination must include the following materials:

A nomination letter stating why the person should be recognized.
Copy of nominee’s curriculum vitae (CV).
No less than one and no more than three letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with your qualifications. Letters must be submitted separately by the recommenders through the nomination portal.

Submission Information
All nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Shawn D. Long IDEA Program Award

The Shawn D. Long IDEA Program Award honors the career contributions towards inclusion, diversity, equity, and access from long time NCA member Shawn D. Long. The award offers recognition for programmatic and organizational efforts to enhance inclusion, diversity, equity and access. Some programs and departments make the extra effort to be inclusive and welcoming, some work to shift the culture of their campus environment, and some are engaged in broader activities that may affect local, regional, national, and international populations.

Since there are many ways to demonstrate a programmatic commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity and access, this award will be based in part on markers of such activity developed by the NCA Inclusivity Task Force.

IDEA Indicators list for evaluating programmatic efforts:

Plan, Goals, and Assessment

Has developed a diversity plan based on input from students, faculty, staff, alumni, and other relevant constituents, with a clear timetable for implementation.
Has identified specific, realistic, and measurable goals for faculty and student diversity, has a clearly articulated assessment plan, and can point to progress toward meeting or exceeding those goals.
Has identified specific, realistic, and measurable goals for making diversity and inclusivity an integral and infused component of instruction (inside and outside the classroom), and can point to progress toward meeting or exceeding those goals.
Has identified specific, realistic, and measurable goals for making diversity and inclusivity an integral component of departmental culture (outside of faculty/student diversity and instruction) in ways other than those identified above (e.g., partnerships with HBCUs, incentives to bring in diverse voices into the classroom).

Structure and Training

Has a standing committee in the department that is focused on issues of IDEA.
Has taken steps to ensure faculty, students, and staff are well trained on issues of IDEA.
Has made exposure to issues of inclusivity and diversity a central aspect of both its undergraduate and (if relevant) graduate program.
Has taken active steps to create and maintain an inclusive classroom environment for all its students.
Has clearly articulated mentorship plans for students (graduate and/or undergraduate), faculty, and/or staff of color.

Diffusion and Communication

Has made its diversity strategic plan easily accessible (e.g., website, brochures, programs).
Uses its online and/or social media presence to bring awareness of its commitment to diversity.

Activities

Has undertaken scholarly or professional project initiatives to create a more diverse and inclusive climate (e.g., grants, community partnerships, invited speakers, colloquium series).
Actively supports and promotes research and instruction on issues of IDEA.
Has concretely/directly supported campus and/or community programs/efforts/initiatives/service projects geared toward improving the lives of diverse communities.
Has faculty members, staff, and/or students involved in programs, committees, and/or decision-making bodies on campus, off-campus, and/or at the national and/or disciplinary levels with direct relevance to IDEA efforts.
Has active and ongoing engagements with community organizations advocating for structurally disadvantaged populations.
Has received recognition for its efforts toward making the department, the university, and/or the community a more diverse and inclusive environment.

The nomination must include the following materials:

A nomination letter from the Program Head with a summary of the case for receiving the award.
A brief five-to-eight-page report that offers evidence supporting some or all the “indicators of inclusivity” listed below.
A letter of support from the Dean, Provost or Leader of the unit to which the Head of the submitted Program reports. If reporting lines are split, a letter from each reporting line is preferred.

Submission Information
Nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Awards for Outstanding Service

Everett Hughes Holle Award for Social Justice and Community Engagement (NEW FOR 2024)

Approved by the NCA Executive Committee of the Legislative Assembly in January 2024.

The award was established thanks to an endowment by the Holle Center for Communication Arts at The University of Alabama.

The award recognizes individual communication scholars and professionals whose work centers community service and applied scholarship that promotes democracy, diversity, and creative expression. The award will recognize community-based work that is directed toward creating democratic and equitable outcomes for the most marginalized, and/or humanizing difference through a hands-on approach that seeks to respond, bridge and/or confront issues of social injustice and indignity and engage in activism aimed at improving the lives and conditions of others, through education, engagement, or embodiment.

The award is named after Brigadier General Everett Hughes Holle who served in the US Army and headed its Radio, TV, and Motion Picture Department. Holle is the namesake of the interdisciplinary Holle Center for Communication Arts at the University of Alabama, which focuses on the promotion of creativity and social justice in communication and storytelling.

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and a monetary award of $1,000 in 2024.

Eligibility

Nominees must be a member of NCA.
Undergraduate and graduate students are not eligible for the award.
The award can be won more than once, but recipients of the awards are not eligible to re-apply for at least five years after winning and cannot earn the award multiple times for the same project.
Service-learning projects that are an extension of a course ae not eligible for the award.
Nominations must be sent by someone well acquainted with the nominee’s qualifications. Self-nominations are also encouraged.

The nomination must include the following materials:

A nomination letter (no more than 2 pages) that describes the nominee’s commitment to community service that addresses some form or aspect of social justice (specified) through service, repair, reform, or advocacy. A sustained example with substantiated evidence of impact is encouraged. The nomination can include supplementary support materials (photos, websites, or other documents) as an addendum.
The nominee’s curriculum vitae
A letter of recommendation from at least one, but no more than three reference(s) familiar with the nominee’s qualifications or the specified project (an award nominator may not serve as a reference). Letters must be submitted separately by the recommenders through the nomination portal.

The following criteria will be used in the selection process:

The applicant has made a significant and public contribution to a social justice problem in a creative and inspiring way, and has involved local community members, co-participants, and/or stakeholders in some aspect of service and involvement aimed at sustainability and long-term impact.
There is an effort at public education, awareness and dissemination of information embedded in the project (teachers working exclusively with their students on service-learning projects will not be eligible for this award);
There has been sustained engagement and commitment for at least one consecutive year;
There is demonstrated evidence of impact on the community and/or discipline.

Submission Information
All nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Committee Members
TBD

Robert J. Kibler Memorial Award

The Robert J. Kibler Memorial Award recognizes 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.

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and monetary award of $500.

Nominations must be submitted by someone well acquainted with the scholarship. Self-nominations are encouraged. Nominees must be current members of NCA.

The nomination must include the following material:

A nomination letter stating why the person should be recognized.
The nominee’s curriculum vitae.
Three letters of recommendation from people familiar with the nominee’s qualifications. Letters must be submitted separately by the recommenders through the nomination portal.

Submission Information
All nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Committee Members
Patrice Buzzanell, University of South Florida
Jayne Cubbage, Bowie State University
Ronald Jackson, University of Miami

Samuel L. Becker Distinguished Service Award

The Samuel L. Becker Distinguished Service Award recognizes 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 their career.

The recipient will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and monetary award for $500.

Nominations must be submitted by someone well acquainted with the nominee’s qualifications. Self-nominations are also encouraged. Nominees must be current members of NCA.

The nomination must include the following materials:

A nomination letter stating why the person should be recognized.
The nominee’s curriculum vitae.
Three letters of recommendation from people familiar with the nominee’s qualifications. Letters must be submitted separately by the recommenders through the nomination portal.

Awards for Distinguished Career

Distinguished Scholar Award

The NCA Distinguished Scholar Award was created in 1991 to recognize NCA members for a lifetime of scholarly achievement in the study of human communication. Recipients are selected to showcase the communication profession.

The awards are for a distinguished “career,” operationally defined as a person who has at least 20 complete years of scholarly contributions since their Ph.D. was awarded. This keeps the membership limited to scholars showing a long-term commitment but does not limit the awardees to those of a particular age. These awards should, however, be considered "select"—only the people who we would present to others to showcase our profession. Breadth in the selection process should be considered, but it should not in any way override the quality considerations. One award each year may be posthumous.

Nominations can be made by any current NCA member. Self-nominations will not be considered. Nominations of living scholars must include the following:

A brief statement, not to exceed one page, in which the nominator contextualizes the nominee’s record as presented in the C.V. The brief statement should be unsigned and should not reveal the identity of the nominator.
Curriculum vitae of the person being nominated.

A CV is not required in cases of a posthumous nomination.

No letters of reference or third-party endorsements of nominations will be accepted.

The recipient(s) will be recognized at the awards ceremony during the NCA Annual Convention and will receive a plaque and monetary award of $500.

Submission Information
All nominations for this award must be submitted through the NCA website.

Committee Members
Mohan Dutta, Massey University
Kesha Morant Williams, Elizabethtown College

Lambda Pi Eta Awards

See the call for nominations

2024 Call for NCA National Award Nominations

Awards for Outstanding Teaching

Awards for Outstanding Scholarship

Awards for IDEA Initiatives

Awards for Outstanding Service

Awards for Distinguished Career

Lambda Pi Eta Awards

2024 Call for NCA National Award Nominations

NCA Doctoral Honors Seminar, University of Utah

NCA Institute for Faculty Development, Duquesne University

NCA Mid-Career Scholars' Writing Retreat 2024, Auburn University