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Awards

 

Photo of 3 awards with one award shaped as a star standing out up front.AUCD2021 Awards Ceremony

The annual AUCD Awards gives us an opportunity to recognize individuals, programs, and organizations that have demonstrated exceptional leadership and made outstanding contributions. We honor leadership, advocacy, research, policy, and practice that further diversifies and creates more inclusive communities for people with disabilities and their families. Comprised of 10 categories, the AUCD Awards represent the exemplars within our network, and local, state, and federal partners.

 

Congratulations to the following AUCD 2021 Awardees who were honored and celebrated during the AUCD 2021 Virtual Conference on Tuesday, November 16th

  • Lifetime Achievement Award - Julie A. Fodor, PhD, Director, Center on Disabilities and Human Development College of EHHS, University of Idaho
  • George S. Jesien Distinguished Achievement Award - Elise McMillan, JD, Co-Director, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Tennessee
  • Special Recognition Award - Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children, California
  • Gold Star Award - Katie Campbell, Legislative Director, Office of Senator Mark Kelly, Arizona
  • Gordon Richins Award for Leadership and Advocacy - Fran D. Goldfarb, MA, MCHES, CFPS, Director of Community Education, Information Dissemination and Technical Assistance, University of Southern California UCEDD at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, California
  • Multicultural Council Award for Leadership in Diversity - Oyáte Circle, University of South Dakota
  • Young Professional Award - Kaitlyn Ahlers, PhD, postdoctoral fellow, University of Washington
  • Anne Rudigier Award - Yue Xu, Doctoral Student, Institute on Disability & Human Development in Illinois
  • International Service Award - Brent Askvig, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Minot State University, North Dakota
  • CORE Trainee Research Award - Michele A. Schutz, student, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Tennessee
 
 

AUCD Awards & Descriptions

AUCD is pleased to present the following awards recognizing outstanding contributions:

 
 

Lifetime Achievement Award

The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to individuals making a lifetime commitment to serving people with developmental disabilities and their families. This is AUCD's highest award and can be given to an individual inside or outside of the AUCD network.

 
 

George S. Jesien Distinguished Achievement Award

This award recognizes a UCEDD, LEND or IDDRC executive, faculty or staff member who has demonstrated a distinguished career of excellence and leadership in support of AUCD's mission to advance policy and practice for and with people living with developmental and other disabilities, their families and communities. The nomination letter should include a description of the candidate's accomplishments in research, education and service. Information relevant to the community, scientific, educational, organizational, or political environment in which the candidate's accomplishments were made may be included in the narrative to support the nomination. The award was renamed after one of AUCD's distinguished past-Executive Directors, George S. Jesien, PhD, on his retirement in 2013.

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Special Recognition Award

The AUCD Special Recognition Award is presented to an individual, group, or organization outside of the AUCD network to recognize outstanding contributions toward creating more inclusive communities for people with developmental disabilities and their families. The award is given in recognition of professional and personal efforts in a programmatic area that proactively supports people with developmental disabilities and their families at the local, state, or national level. If a group or organization is being nominated for the Special Recognition Award, the name(s) of key people directly involved in the noted accomplishments should be provided.

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Young Professional Award

This award is presented to professionals in the disabilities field under the age of 40 years who have demonstrated dedication and commitment to people with developmental disabilities and their families through their work as a bridge between the academic sector and the community. Nominations should include a description of activities exemplifying the nominee's contributions. The nominee's birth date, including the year, should be included on the nomination page.

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Anne Rudigier Award

Presented by the Rudigier Family to commemorate the accomplishments and commitment of their daughter Anne, this award recognizes an outstanding trainee/student demonstrating a commitment to supporting people with developmental disabilities and their families. Any UCEDD or LEND faculty member may nominate a trainee/student. The nomination should include a description of the nominee's activities while enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program that demonstrate how he/she has made a difference in the life of an individual with a developmental disability. Please include the name of the school(s) in which the trainee/student is enrolled currently, and the school where activities for which the trainee/student is being nominated occurred (if different). Trainees/students currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program and in good academic standing are eligible. The awardee will receive $500 from the Anne Rudigier Scholarship fund.

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Multicultural Council Award for Leadership in Diversity

The Multicultural Council Award for Leadership in Diversity is presented to an Association member or group in recognition of:

  • their exhibited leadership and commitment to advancing programs and practices aimed toward increasing the diversity, cultural, and/or linguistic competencies (in curriculum, services, supports, research, and recruitment) within a Center and the AUCD network as a whole
  • exemplary programs and practices addressing the areas of diversity, cultural, and/or linguistic competencies (in curriculum, services, supports, research, and recruitment) within a Center and the AUCD network as a whole
  • significant contributions in furthering the cause of diversity understanding for the needs of families seeking disability services.

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Gordon Richins Award for Leadership and Advocacy

The Council on Leadership and Advocacy presents the Gordon Richins Award for Leadership and Advocacy in recognition of:

  • Exemplary leadership and advocacy practices of including people with disabilities and family members in projects and initiatives within a Center and the AUCD network as a whole;
  • Serving as an example to the community and the AUCD network by consistently nurturing and promoting leadership opportunities within a Center for people with the lived experience of disability; and/or
  • Significant contributions and efforts to increase the leadership opportunities for people with disabilities and their families.

To be eligible for this award you must be one of the following:

  • An Association member;
  • A current or past faculty or staff at a UCEDD/LEND/IDDRC; and/or
  • A current or past member of a Consumer Advisory Council (CAC) or the CAC as a group.

Gordon Richins was a leader, mentor, and friend. Gordon served as Co-Chair of the Council on Community Advocacy (COCA) from 2004-2010, which was renamed as the Council on Leadership and Advocacy in 2017. Gordon served as a member and a leader on the Center for Persons with Disabilities (CPD) at Utah State University, Utah’s UCEDD, Community Advisory Council.

Gordon's approach to advocacy was reflective of his personal qualities – respectful, supportive, and effective. Gordon was committed to the disability community and offered his voice in support of people with disabilities. Gordon was a leader within the AUCD network, at CPD, and various other boards and committees at the local, state and national level. This award honors the advocacy that Gordon exemplified and provided to AUCD and the disability community.

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Gold Star Award

Established in 2002, the AUCD Gold Star Award is presented to a Capitol Hill staffer who exemplifies a true partnership in crafting strong public policy. This award recognizes the staffer for his/her professional and personal efforts to craft policy and implement programs with input from AUCD and the greater disability community, thus supporting AUCD in achieving its mission to advance policy and practice for and with people living with developmental and other disabilities, their families, and communities.

  • Past recipients:
    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)

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International Service Award

The AUCD International Service Award is presented to an individual or group inside or outside of the AUCD network to recognize outstanding contributions that further programs or policies designed to create more inclusive communities for people with disabilities and their families throughout the world. The award is given in recognition of personal and professional efforts in program areas that proactively support people with disabilities and their families at local, regional, or national levels in the host country.

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CORE Trainee Research Award

The Council on Research and Evaluation (CORE) Trainee Research Award is intended to recognize the efforts of emerging researchers. For the purpose of this award, research is defined as Experimental or Quasi-experimental Designs; Single Subject Designs; Single Case Designs; Correlational Designs; or Qualitative Designs. This award is given to anyone who is a current AUCD network trainee (i.e., LEND or UCEDD) or who completed training within the last 2 years of the award year. This award was established in 2015.

 

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DISCONTINUED AWARDS, NOMINATIONS NO LONGER ACCEPTED

 

 
 

Leadership in Advocacy Award

*Nominations for strength in advocacy should be made for either the Gordon Richins Award for Leadership and Advocacy, or the Special Recognition Award.

The Leadership in Advocacy Award is presented to an outstanding individual or family member who has exhibited exceptional leadership and self-advocacy skills in the area of developmental disabilities.