AUCD | AUCD Awards 2025

AUCD 2025 Awardees

Congratulations to the following AUCD 2025 Awardees who were honored and celebrated during the AUCD 2025 Conference on Thursday, November 13.

Lifetime Achievement Award
Danny Armstrong — Mailman Center

Lifetime Achievement Award
Michael Gamel-McCormick — Washington, DC

George S. Jesien Distinguished Achievement Award
Cate Weir — Institute for Community Inclusion, University of Massachusetts

Gold Star Award
Heather Wadyka — United States Senate Committee on Appropriations

AUCD International Service Award
Mustafa Rfat — Washington University at St. Louis

Anne Rudigier Award
Rebecca Townsend — Kansas University Center in Disabilities

Gordon Richins Award for Leadership and Advocacy
Joanne Siegel — Rose F. Kennedy Center

Young Professional Award
Toni Saia — San Diego State University

Awardees during the AUCD 2024 Conference.

Lifetime Achievement

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.

Cincinnati Children's Hospital

AUCD 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award
Danny Armstrong
Mailman Center

Lifetime 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.

AUCD 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award
Michael Gamel-McCormick
Washington, DC

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 with 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 to honor one of AUCD's distinguished past-Executive Directors, Dr. George S. Jesien on his retirement in 2013.

Image of John Butterworth, a white man with short grey hair wearing glasses, he is wearing a shirt and vest.

AUCD 2025 George S. Jesien Distinguished Award Recipient
Cate Weir
Institute for Community Inclusion, University of Massachusetts

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 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.

Image of Hari Srinivasan, an Indian man with black hair wearing a shirt, tie and lab coat.

AUCD 2025 Young Professional Award Recipient
Toni Saia
San Diego State University

Anne Rudigier Award

This award is named after Anne Rudigier, a young woman who demonstrated that one individual's commitment, energy, love of life, and respect for all people can be shared and can persevere through others. The award is presented by the Rudigier Family in loving memory of their daughter Anne and of the values she held in her life and in her work. This award recognizes an outstanding trainee/student demonstrating a commitment to supporting people with developmental disabilities and their families. Any UCEDD, LEND, or IDDRC 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 they have 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.

Image of Jennifer Morgan, a white woman with blond hair wearing a blue shirt.

AUCD 2025 Anne Rudigier Award Recipient
Rebecca Townsend
Kansas University Center in Disabilities

Gordon Richins Award for Leadership and Advocacy

The Gordon Richins Award for Leadership and Advocacy is presented by AUCD’s Council on Leadership and Advocacy (COLA) in recognition of:

Exemplary leadership and advocacy practices of including people with disabilities and family members in projects and initiatives within a Center and/or Program 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 leadership opportunities for people with disabilities and their families.

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

An AUCD Network member;
A current or past faculty or staff at a UCEDD, LEND, or 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 (COLA) 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.

AUCD 2025 Gordon Richins Award for Leadership and Advocacy Recipient
Joanne Siegel
Rose F. Kennedy Center

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 their 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 disabilities, their families, and communities.

Image of Brad Thomas, a white man smiling wearing a red and white checked polo-button-up shirt.

AUCD 2025 Gold Star Award
Heather Wadyka
United States Senate Committee on Appropriations

AUCD 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 that have positively impacted the lives of people with disabilities and their families at local, regional, and/or national levels in the host country.

AUCD 2025 International Service Award Recipient
Mustafa Rfat
Washington University at St. Louis

AUCD Awards 2025

﻿AUCD 2025 Awardees