John L. Blackburn Distinguished Pillars
2022 Distinguished Pillars of the Profession
2021 Distinguished Pillars of the Profession
Class of 2020
Class of 2019
Class of 2018
Class of 2017
Class of 2016
Class of 2015
Class of 2014
Class of 2013
Class of 2012
Pillars of the Profession 2022
2022 Pillars of the Profession
Past Pillar of the Profession Recipients
The following individuals have been honored with the NASPA Foundation's Pillar of the Profession Award, which is granted on the following criteria:
- Have provided significant service to NASPA through regional and/or national leadership roles within the Association.
- Have created a lasting impact on the institution(s)/organization(s) at which they have worked, leaving a legacy of extraordinary service recognized by a cross-section of institutional/organizational stakeholders.
- Have demonstrated sustained, lifetime professional distinction in the field of student affairs and/or higher education.
An alphabetical list of past Pillars of the Profession can be downloaded here.
Past Pillars of the Profession
2021 Pillars of the Profession
Danita M. Brown Young
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Evette Castillo Clark
Dean of Students
Saint Mary's College of California
Kevin T. Colaner (posthumous)
Associate Vice President / Chief of Operations
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
Walter Diaz
Vice President for Student Affairs
Eastern Connecticut State Unviersity
Janet Smith Dickerson
Vice President for Student Affairs
The Claremont Colleges Services
Debra F. Geller
Associate Dean of Students
University of California-Los Angeles
Kathy L. Guthrie
Associate Professor, Higher Education
Florida State University
Jim Hoppe
Vice President & Dean for Campus Life
Emerson College
Georj L. Lewis
President
Atlanta Metropolitan State College
Chris S. Meiers
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Washington State University - Tri-Cities
Beth Moriarty
Higher Education Consultant
Tonantzin Oseguera
Vice President for Student Affairs
California State University Fullerton
Rose Pascarell
Vice President for University Life
George Mason University
Laura E. Valdez
Director, Office of Advising Strategies
University of New Mexico
Lawrence P. Ward
Vice President for Learner Success and Dean of Campus Life
Babson College
2020 Pillars of the Profession
Angela E. Batista
Vice President of Student Affairs and Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, Champlain College
Paul R. Bennion
Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students,The College of Idaho
Michael D. Coomes
Emeritus Associate Professor of Higher Education and Student Affairs,Bowling Green State University
Jacob L. Diaz
Regional Assistant Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs and Student Success/ Dean of Students,University of South Florida, St. Petersburg
Pauline M. Dobrowski
Vice President for Student Affairs,Stonehill College
Brandi Hephner LaBanc
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs & Campus Life,University of Massachusetts Amherst
Kathryn T. Hutchinson
Vice President for Student Affairs,St. John's University
Jan Minoru Javinar
Specialist Faculty Assistant to the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs,University of Hawai'i West O'ahu
Maureen Keefe
Vice President of Student Development,Massachusetts College of Art and Design
John Wesley Lowery
Professor and Department Chair, SAHE,Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Daniel M. Maxwell
Associate Vice Chancellor/Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, University of Houston
Salvador B. Mena
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Rutgers University, New Brunswick
Shana L. Warkentine Meyer
Vice President for Student Affairs, Missouri Western State University
Sandra Olson-Loy
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, University of Minnesota-Morris
Jeffrey S. Putman
Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Elena M. Sandoval-Lucero
Vice President, Boulder County Campus, Front Range Community College
Christine Schneikart-Luebbe
Dean of Students, Senior Student Affairs Officer, Newman University
David Zamojski
Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life, Boston University
2019 Pillars of the Profession
Javaune Adams-Gaston
Senior Vice President for Student Life, The Ohio State University
Timothy A. Alvarez
President, Otero Junior College
Susan E. Borrego
Chancellor, University of Michigan-Flint
Sherryl A. Byrd
Vice President for Student Affairs, Austin Peay State University
Trina Dobberstein
Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students, Baldwin Wallace University
Kenneth Elmore
Associate Provost and Dean of Students, Boston University
Wendy Endress
Vice Provost for Student & Academic Life, The Evergreen State College
Pamela Havice
Professor of Higher Education and Student Affairs, Clemson University
Debbie E. Heida
Chief of Staff, Berry College
Joy L. Hoffman
Independent Contractor-Trainer
Cedric B. Howard
Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services, SUNY Fredonia
Larry W. Lunsford
Vice President for Student Affairs, Florida International university
Kathryn Mueller
Vice President of Student Services, Coastline Community College
James Davidson Porter
Vice President of Student Affairs, Tulane University
Robert A. Schwartz
Professor of Higher Education, Educational Leadership and Policies Studies, Florida State University
Matthew R. Wawrzynski
Associate Professor of Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education, Michigan State University
Sarah B. Westfall
Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students, Kalamazoo College
2018 Pillars of the Profession
Mamta Accapadi
Vice President for Student Affairs, Rollins College
Tony Cawthon
Alumni Distinguished Professor, Clemson University
Paulette Dalpes
Vice President, Student Affairs, Community College of Aurora
W. Houston Dougharty
Vice President for Student Affairs, Hofstra University
Felice Dublon
Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Mary Jo Gonzales
Vice President of Student Affairs, Washington State University
Hampton Hawkins
President, Carolina College of Health Sciences
Tom Jackson Jr.
President, Black Hills State University
Sherry Mallory
Dean of Students, Revelle College, University of California, San Diego
Brian McCoy
Professor of Psychology, Nichols College
Kandy Mink Salas
Program Director, College Counseling and Student Development Program, Azusa Pacific University
Denzil Suite
Vice President for Student Life, University of Washington
Annemarie Vaccaro
Associate Professor, University of Rhode Island
2017 Pillars of the Profession
Department Chair of Educational Administration, Michigan State University
Teri Bump
Vice President for University Relations/ Student Affairs, American Campus Communities
Nancy Crimmin
Vice President and Chief Academic and Student Affairs Officer, Becker College
Brian Haynes
Vice President for Student Affairs, California State University San Bernardino
John Hoffman
Director, Doctor of Educational Leadership Program, California State University Fullerton
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, University of California Berkeley
Patrick Love
Vice President for Student Affairs, New York Institute of Technology
Ellen Neufeldt
Vice President for Student Engagement and Enrollment Services, Old Dominion University
Brett Perozzi
Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, Weber State University
Judy Sakaki
President, Sonoma State University
Frank Sanchez
President, Rhode Island College
2016 Pillars of the Profession
Peggy Burke
Associate Vice President for Student Development, DePaul University
Les P. Cook
Vice President for Student Affairs and Advancement, Michigan Technological University
Jody Donovan
Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students, Colorado State University
Lisa A. Erwin
Vice Chancellor for Student Life and Dean of Students, University of Minnesota Duluth
Lori M. Ideta
Interim Vice Chancellor for Students, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Charles J. Fey
Vice President for Academic Support and Student Affairs, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Berenecea Johnson Eanes
Vice President for Student Affairs, California State University Fullerton
Tisa Mason
President, Valley City State University
Kenneth Kelly
Director, SOAR/Parent and Family Program/Testing and Evaluation Services, California State University, Long Beach
Anna M. Ortiz
Professor, California State University, Long Beach
Bridgette O. Pregliasco
Assistant Professor, University of Louisville
Wm. Gregory Sawyer
Vice President for Student Affairs, California State University, Channel Islands
Marc L. Wais
Senior Vice President for Student Affairs, New York University
Richard Walker
Vice Chancellor/Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Services, University of Houston
2015 Pillars of the Profession
Kevin Bailey
Rosie P.Bingham
Kari Ellingson
Anna Gonzalez
Ellen Heffernan
Brent Paterson
Enrique Ramos
Richard Rossi
Melissa Vito
Vernon Wall
Laura Wankel
Jeanine Ward-Roof
2014 Pillars of the Profession
Margaret Balistreri-Clarke
Delight Champagne
Magdalena H. de La Teja
Richard Hoover
Helen Matusow-Ayres
Timothy Millerick
Debra Moriarty
Richard Mullendore
Lori Reesor
Gregory Roberts
Marcia Lou "Cissy" Petty
Mark Shanley
Eugene Zdziarski
2013 Pillars of the Profession
Peg Blake
Joe Buchanan
Barbara Fienman
Jill Halvaks
Edward Hammond
Shaun Harper
Robert Kelly
Robert Page
Mary Skorheim
Sharyn Slavin Miller
James Studer
Victor Yanitelli
2012 Pillars of the Profession
Marilee Bresciani
Mary Coburn
Enrique Iglesias Hidalgo
Randy Hyman
Lyle Gohn
Levester Johnson
Gage Paine
Sandy Scherrens
Ed Spencer
Brian Sullivan
Patricia Telles-Irvin
Charlotte Tullos
Carol Wiggins
2011 Pillars of the Profession
Charlotte Burgess
Michael Cuyjet
Margaret Healy
Joan Kindle
Phyllis Mable
Jim Moore
Steve Neilson
Penny Rue
Robert Shaffer
Gail Short Hanson
Bette Simmons
2010 Pillars of the Profession
Stan Carpenter
Mary Desler
Diana Doyle
Bob Gatti
Tom Hill
George McClellan
Wanda Mercer
Tom Robinson
Mary Beth Snyder
Cheo Torres
Jo Anne Trow
Howard Wang
Jan Winniford
2009 Pillars of the Profession
Jill Carnaghi
Art Constantino
Tom Crady
Bill Flanagan
Brian Hemphill
Zenobia Hikes (in memoriam)
Susan Hunter Hancock
Carmen Jordan-Cox
Robert Naples
Tom Shandley
Lisa Waits
Lori White
Pat Whitely
2008 Pillars of the Profession
Judith Albin
Renee Barnett Terry
Larry G. Benedict
Kathleen Cramer
John Cernech
Michael Dannells
Jackie Gribbons
Ray Heath
Art Jackson
Barbara Jones
Richard Keeling
Kurt Keppler
Dorothy Knoll
Ronni Sanlo
2007 Pillars of the Profession
Sara A. Boatman
Margaret A. Jablonski
William L. Kibler
James R. Kitchen
Gary Kleeman
Bob Leach
Frances Lucas
Prakash Mathew
Fred W. Rhodes
Dwight L. Rideout
J. Michael Segawa
Janet E. Walbert
Jamie Washington
2006 Pillars of the Profession
Frank P. Ardaiolo
Patricia E. Askew
James A. Griesen
Ronald R. Kopita
Sheila Murphy
William L. Riley
Paula M. Rooney
Anthony R. Ross
C. Carney Strange
Patricia S. Terrell
2005 Pillars of the Profession
Donald Blumenthal
Cynthia Cherrey
Cynthia Forrest
Kent Gardner
Tom Goodale
Harold Holmes
Johan Madson
Kathleen Manning
Richard McKaig
Dennis Pruitt
Joy Smith
Margie Van Vooren
George Wallman
Ed Whipple
2004 Pillars of the Profession
Susan Adams
Johnetta Cross Brazzell
Dean Bresciani
Evelyn Clements
Henry Gee
Barbara Henley
Michael Jackson
Kevin Kruger
Linda Kuk
Thomas Miller
Dennis Murphy
Karen Pennington
Larry Roper
Alvin Tagomori
Jack Warner
Sue Weitz
Lee Wilcox
2003 Pillars of the Profession
Don Adams
Cherry Callahan
Larry Dietz
Kevin Duffy
Shannon Ellis
John Gavigan
Dennis Golden
Barbara Hollman
Don Howard
James Hurst
Almeda Jacks
Sandra Matsui
Sandy McClean
Keith Miser
J. Harrison Morson
Larry Moneta
Myrtis Powell
Theresa Powell
Karen Rigg
Hazel Scott
Saunie Taylor
Penny Wills
2002 Pillars of the Profession
Amefil Agbayani
Timothy Brooks
Marsha Duncan
Gwendolyn J. Dungy
Hal Gin
Elizabeth Griego
William Griffith
Sharon Justice
James Kuder
Don Mills
Mikell O'Donnell
Frederick Preston
Nancy Scott
Barbara Snyder
Alan Yang
2001 Pillars of the Profession
Barbara E. Bender
William R. Butler
James E. Caswell
Jon Dalton
Ursula Delworth
Larry H. Ebbers
Donald D. Gehring
Anne E. Golseth
Suzanne E. Gordon
John J. Koldus, III
Susan R. Komives
George Kuh
Gary Pavela
John Schuh
James E. Scott
Caryl Kelley Smith
Richard Stenard
Harvey Welch, Jr.
2000 Pillars of the Profession
David A. Ambler
Margaret J. Barr
Ronald Beer
Doris M. Ching
Joan Claar
Tom Dutton
Richard J. Correnti
James Lyons
Donald R. Moore
Dudley B. Woodard
1999 Pillars of the Profession
James R. Appleton
John W. Beatty
John L. Blackburn
Channing Briggs
Judy Chambers
Robert H. Ewalt
Billy D. Jellison
Alice Manicur
Jesse Marks
Wilma Minton
Elizabeth Nuss
Chester Peters
James Rhatigan
Arthur Sandeen
Laurence Smith
Emily Taylor
William (Bud) Thomas
John R. Webb
Gary E. Widmar
D. Parker Young
George Young