2023 UPCEA Association Awards Recipients

UPCEA takes great pride in honoring exemplary colleagues, students, programs, and research. The Association recognizes institutional excellence, individual achievement, and contributions to the field of professional, continuing, and online education through its awards program.

Adelle F. Robertson Emerging Professional Continuing Educator Award

Jayzona Alberto
Stanford University


Julius M. Nolte Award for Extraordinary Leadership

Nelson C. Baker
Georgia Institute of Technology


Phillip E. Frandson Award for Literature

New Models of Higher Education: Unbundled, Rebundled, Customized, & DIY
Edited by Aaron M. Brower and Ryan J. Specht-Boardman, University of Wisconsin Extended Campus


UPCEA Business & Operations Award for Operational Excellence

Annette Webb
University of California, Riverside


UPCEA Engagement Award

California Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network
Stanford University 


UPCEA Excellence In Advancing Student Success Award

WKU CARES
Western Kentucky University


UPCEA Outstanding Service in Postsecondary Instructional Design

Holly Fiock
Purdue University


Dorothy Durkin Award For Strategic Innovation In Marketing and/or Enrollment Management

Therese M. Grohman
Northwestern University


UPCEA Excellence In Teaching Award

Karen S. I. Gebhardt
University of Colorado Boulder


UPCEA Innovation in Alternative Credentials Award

Micro-credential Initiative
Kennesaw State University


UPCEA International Program Of Excellence Award 

International Leadership Through Partnership: Master’s of Data Science Programme
Northwestern University


UPCEA Leadership In Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Award

Office of Educational Equity
University of Phoenix


UPCEA Outstanding Professional, Continuing, And/Or Online Education Student Awards: Credit And Noncredit

Nancy Khasungu Makale
University of Pennsylvania


UPCEA Outstanding Program Awards: Credit

Cannabis Science and Operations Undergraduate Certificate
Saint Louis University


UPCEA Outstanding Program Awards: Noncredit

Institute on Pedagogy and Technology for Online Courses
Columbia University


UPCEA Research and Scholarship Award

Kimberly M. Underwood
University of Phoenix


UPCEA Strategic Innovation In Online Education Award

Online Self-Paced Prerequisite Courses
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences


You can find more information about the UPCEA awards program and peruse the accomplishments of past award recipients on the UPCEA Awards website.

Click here to view the 2022 Association Award Recipients.