The AUCD Awards recognize individuals, programs, and organizations whose leadership, advocacy, research, service, and innovation are improving the lives of people with disabilities and their families. Awards recognize contributions from across the AUCD Network and the broader disability community, including emerging leaders, longtime professionals, advocates, researchers, policymakers, nurses, and international partners.Award Descriptions
Lifetime Achievement AwardGeorge S. Jesien Distinguished Achievement Award Special Recognition Award Young Professional Award Anne Rudigier AwardGordon Richins Award for Leadership and AdvocacyGold Star AwardAUCD International Service Award Council on Research and Evaluation Trainee Research AwardDalice Miller Hertzberg Nursing Impact Award
Lifetime Achievement Award
The Lifetime Achievement Award is AUCD's highest honor and recognizes an individual whose career reflects at least 20 years of extraordinary and sustained commitment to improving the lives of people with disabilities and their families.
AUCD 2025 Lifetime Achievement
Award Recipient
Danny Armstrong
Mailman Center for Child Development
George S. Jesien Distinguished Achievement Award
The George S. Jesien Distinguished Achievement Award recognizes a longtime UCEDD, LEND, or IDDRC professional whose career reflects at least 20 years of exceptional leadership and significant contributions to the disability field and the mission of AUCD.
AUCD 2025 George S. Jesien Distinguished Award Recipient
Cate Weir
Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston
AUCD 2024 Special Recognition Award Recipient
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
AUCD 2025 Young Professional Award Recipient
Toni Saia
First Center for Autism and Innovation at Vanderbilt University
Anne Rudigier Award
The Anne Rudigier Award recognizes an outstanding current UCEDD, LEND, or IDDRC trainee or student whose compassion, commitment, and service have made a meaningful difference for people with developmental disabilities and their families. The recipient will receive a monetary award in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the disability community.
AUCD 2025 Anne Rudigier Award Recipient
Rebecca Townsend
Kansas University Center in Disabilities
Gordon Richins Award for Leadership and Advocacy
The Gordon Richins Award recognizes an AUCD Network member, professional, advocate, or Consumer Advisory Council whose leadership and advocacy have expanded meaningful inclusion, self-advocacy, and leadership opportunities for people with disabilities and their families.
AUCD 2025 Gordon Richins Award
Joanne Siegel
Rose F. Kennedy Center
AUCD 2025 Gold Star Award Recipient
Heather Wadyka
United States Senate Committee on Appropriations
AUCD 2025 International Service Award Recipient
Mustafa Rfat
Washington University at St. Louis
AUCD 2024 CORE Trainee Research Award Recipient
Ann Marie Martin
Indiana LEND at the Indiana University School of Medicine
Past Award Recipients
2000-2024 Award Recipients
- 2000 Ethel Chou
- 2001 Kathy Sheppard Jones (KY)
- 2002 Kelly Peters (NM)
- 2003 Joseph Caldwell (IL)
- 2004 Kristy Adakai-Tinney (NM)
- 2005 Ann Cameron Williams, PhD (IL)
- 2006 Sara E. Boyd, MA (KY)
- 2007 John Kramer, MA (IL)
- 2008 Catherine P. Keiling, BA (IL)
- 2009 Emily Shea Obremski (KS)
- 2010 Jasmina Sisirak, MPH (IL)
- 2011 Meghan R. Burke, MS (TN)
- 2012 Jody M. Pirtle, PhD (AZ)
- 2013 Ashley Candelaria, MS (KY)
- 2014 Emily Johnson, MA (OR)
- 2015 Katherine Hastings, MS (KY)
- 2016 Vanessa Diambou (VT)
- 2017 Joseph P. K. Ahuna, III, JD, MPA
- 2018 Ellen Casale, EdS, MEd (TN)
- 2019 E (Alice) Zhang, PhD, BCBA, LBA (KS)
- 2020 Emily Moseley, Graduate Student (KY)
- 2021 Yue Xu, Doctoral Student (IL)
- 2022 Kiley McLean (WI)
- 2023 Shawn Aleong (PA)
- 2024 Jennifer Morgan (TX
- 2010 Barbara LeRoy, PhD (MI)
- 2012 Tamar Heller, PhD (IL)
- 2013 David O'Hara, PhD (NY)
- 2015 Andy Minnion, MBE (England)
- 2016 Michael Wehmeyer, PhD (KS)
- 2017 Karl Ellingsen, PhD (Norway)
- 2018 Sefakor Komabu-Pomeyie, MA
- 2019 Charlotte McClain-Nhlapo, LLM, MA
- 2021 Brent Askvig, PhD (ND)
- 2023 Kerim M. Munir, MD, MPH, DSc
- 2024 Megan Roberts (OK)
- 2015 Samatha Goldman, MEd (TN)
- 2016 Carli Friedman, PhD (IL)
- 2017 Carly Blustein Gilson, PhD
- 2018 Elizabeth Biggs
- 2019 Ariel Schwartz, PhD, OTR/L
- 2020 Helen Rottier, PhD student (IL)
- 2021 Michele A. Schutz, student (TN)
- 2022 Brittney L. Goscicki (MD)
- 2023 Larissa Minner (TX)
- 2024 Ann Marie Martin (IN)
- 2001 Steve Shroeder
- 2005 Herb Cohen, MD (NY)
- 2006 Jack H. Rubinstein, MD, in memoriam
- 2007 Diane Nelson Bryen, PhD (AZ)
- 2008 Hill M. Walker, PhD (OR)
- 2009 Lucille A. Zeph, EdD (ME)
- 2010 Jan A. Nesbit, PhD (NH)
- 2011 K. Charlie Lakin, PhD (MN)
- 2012 David Mank, PhD (IN)
- 2013 William E. Kiernan, PhD (MA) and Robert Stodden, PhD (HI)
- 2014 Ansley Bacon, PhD (NY) and Frederick Palmer, MD (TN)
- 2015 Harold Kleinert, ED (KY)
- 2016 Robert Bacon, MA (IA)
- 2016 Deborah Spitalnik, PhD (NJ)
- 2017 Judith M. Holt, PhD (UT)
- 2018 David R. Johnson, PhD (MN)
- 2019 Daniel Crimmins, PhD (GA)
- 2020 Dan (Dalun) Zhang, PhD (TX)
- 2021 Elise McMillan, JD (TN)
- 2022 Elizabeth A. Perkins, PhD, RNLD, FAAIDD, FGSA (FL)
- 2023 Amy S. Hewitt, PhD (MN)
- 2024 John Butterworth (MA)
- 2004 Amy Judge (Representative Langevin's Office)
- 2005 Ellen Murray (Senate, Labor HHS, Education Appropriations Subcommittee)
- 2006 Aaron Bishop (Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Professional Staff)
- 2007 Connie Garner (Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Professional Staff)
- 2008 Sharon Lewis (Disability Policy Advisor to George Miller (D-CA), Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee)
- 2009 Kenneth DeGraff (Legislative Director to Congressman Mike Doyle, D-PA)
- 2010 Adrienne Hallett, MTS (Professional Staff, Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee)
- 2010 Lisa Bernhardt, MPP (Professional Staff, Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee)
- 2011 Michael Barnard (Legislative Assistant, Senator Robert Menendez, D-NJ)
- 2011 Tim Lynagh (Deputy Chief of Staff, Representative Christopher H. Smith, R-NJ)
- 2012 Andrew J. Imparato (U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education,
Labor and Pensions Professional Staff) - 2013 Karen Summar, MD, MS (Legislative Counsel to Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, R-WA)
- 2014 Cate Benedetti (Staffer for Rep. Christopher Smith, R-NJ)
- 2015 Jennifer Debes (Staffer for Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-FL)
- 2016 Jake Cornett, MA (Senior Advisor, Office of US Senator Patty Murray)
- 2017 Michael Gamel-McCormick, PhD (Disability Policy Director, The Office of US Senator Bob Casey)
- 2018 Kimberly Knackstedt, PhD (Disability and Education Policy Advisor, Representative Bobby Scott and the House Education and Workforce Committee)
- 2019 Kelsey Griswold (Legislative Director, Office of U.S. Representative Chris Smith)
- 2020 (Gil) Ruiz (Legislative Assistant, Office of US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand)
- 2021 Katie Campbell (Legislative Direct, Office of US Senator Mark Kelly)
- 2022 Sarah Mueller (Disability Policy Advisor (U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pension (HELP)
- 2023 Brad Thomas, MEd (DC)
- 2024 Peter Mills (DC)
- 2000 University of Maine UAP
- 2001 Waisman Center, WI
- 2002 Interdisciplinary Human Development Institute, Kentucky
- 2003 Center for Development and Disability, New Mexico
- 2006 Indiana Institute on Disability and Community
- 2007 Missouri UCEDD
- 2008 South Carolina UCEDD
- 2009 Munroe-Meyer Institute for Genetics and Rehabilitation at the University of Nebraska Medical Center
- 2010 Westchester Institute For Human Development, NY
- 2011 Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, TN
- 2012 Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington
- 2013 Community Advisory Committee, Florida Center for Inclusive Communities
- 2014 Utah Center for Persons with Disabilities
- 2015 Institute for Disability Studies University of Southern Mississippi UCEDD
- 2016 Community Advisory Council of the Center for Leadership in Disability, Georgia State University
- 2018 Deborah Unruh
- 2019 Rochelle 'Shelly' Baer, MSW, LCSW
- 2020 Mitchell Levitz
- 2021 Fran D. Goldfarb, MA, MCHES, CFPS
- 2022 Elizabeth Benevides, MD
- 2023 The Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities and Kansas Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities Consumer Advisory Panel (KUCDD-LEND CAP)
- 2024 Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (WIND)
- 2001 Bob Cooke
- 2007 Margaret Giannini
- 2009 Allen C. Crocker, MD
- 2010 Paul Marchand
- 2011 Senator Tom Harkin
- 2014 Robert Bruininks, PhD
- 2017 William E. Kiernan, PhD
- 2018 Wanda Willis, MEd
- 2020 Stephen L. Rock, PhD
- 2021 Julie A. Fodor, PhD
- 2022 Bruce K. Shapiro, MD
- 2023 Deborah M. Spitalnik, PhD
- 2024 Sandy Root-Elledge
- 2000 Glennita Haskey
- 2001 Kathleen Kovack
- 2001 Rose Ann Percival (Recognition to DDS)
- 2001 Marty Blair (AUCD)
- 2002 Ann Drum (MCHB)
- 2002 Barry Eigen (SSA)
- 2002 Bettilou Taylor
- 2003 Constance Garner, RN (Senator Kennedy's Office)
- 2003 Adele Gorelick (ADD)
- 2003 George Jesien, PhD (AUCD)
- 2004 Donna Gleaves (The Arc of Utah)
- 2005 Bobby Silverstein, JD (CSADP)
- 2005 Denise Sofka, RD, MPH (MCHB)
- 2006 Jose F. Cordero, MD, MPH (NCBDDD)
- 2007 Marty Ford (The Arc)
- 2007 Margaret Giannini, MD, FAAP (Office on Disability, HHS)
- 2009 Crystal Pariseau (AUCD)
- 2010 Peter C. van Dyck, MD, MPH (MCHB)
- 2011 William C. Gaventa, Jr., MDiv (Boggs Center)
- 2011 Kim E. Musheno (AUCD)
- 2012 Steven M. Eidelman, MBA, MSW (U of DE Leadership Institute)
- 2013 Tawara Goode, MA (DC)
- 2013 Patricia Shiu (Department of Labor)
- 2014 Alison Barkoff (Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law)
- 2015 Catherine Lhamon, JD (US Department of Education)
- 2016 Sharon Lewis (Health Management Associates)
- 2017 Timothy P. Shriver, PhD
- 2017 National ADAPT
- 2018 Madeleine Will, MA
- 2019 Lisa Beaudoin
- 2020 Georgina Peacock, MD, MPH, FAAP (CDC)
- 2021 Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children
- 2023 Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc. (MD)
- 2024 Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (OH)
- 2000 Amy Hewitt, PhD (MN)
- 2001 Jeffrey Brosco, MD, PhD (FL)
- 2002 Dean Westwood (OR)
- 2004 Megan Conway (HI)
- 2005 Angela Weaver-Roebuck, MEd (OR)
- 2006 Mary Kay Rizzolo (IL)
- 2007 Laura Walker (MO)
- 2008 Melissa H. Bellin, PhD (VA)
- 2009 Kathleen Sheppard-Jones, PhD (KY)
- 2010 Derek K. Nord, PhD, MSW (MN)
- 2011 Gail Chodron, MA (WI)
- 2012 Erik Carter, PhD (TN) and Ilka Riddle, PhD (OH)
- 2013 Katie Arnold, MS (IL)
- 2014 Jessica Jagger, PhD (VA) and Zachary Warren, PhD (TN)
- 2015 Pablo Juarez, MEd (TN)
- 2016 Kelly Nye-Lengerman, MSW, PhD (MN)
- 2017 Mallory Finn, JD
- 2018 Jack Brandt, MA (VA)
- 2019 Kate Caldwell, PhD (IL)
- 2020 Sheida K. Raley, PhD (KS)
- 2021 Kaitlyn Ahlers, PhD (WA)
- 2022 Kathryn M. Burke, PhD (PA)
- 2023 Jacy Farkas, MA (AZ)
- 2024 Hari Srinivasan (TN)
Dalice Miller Hertzberg Nursing Impact Award
The Dalice Miller Hertzberg Nursing Impact Award recognizes a nurse whose clinical care, leadership, education, or community engagement is improving health, reducing barriers to care, and enhancing quality of life for people with developmental disabilities. The recipient will receive a monetary award in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the disability community.
Dalice Miller Hertzberg
