Women & Leadership Outstanding Scholarship and Practice Awards
As a community focused on advancing women and leadership, the ILA Women and Leadership member community believes it is important to recognize and celebrate people who are contributing excellent work toward our goal.
In 2014 the Women and Leadership member community began bestowing awards for outstanding scholarship and practice in the area of women and leadership. The award are bestowed periodically and, depending on the year, have been presented at a community networking luncheon at the ILA Global Conference or at an ILA Women and Leadership conference.
Nomination Window Open 3 March - 7 April
The ILA Women and Leadership member community will be accepting nominations for its 2025 Awards from 3 March – 7 April 2025. The awards will presented at the 7th ILA Women and Leadership Conference taking place June 11-13, 2025, in Claremont, CA, USA. Awardees will be notified no later than 28 April 2025. For questions, please contact Vicki Wuolle (vwuolle1@gmail.com), Chair of the ILA Women and Leadership member community Membership and Awards Committee.
Eligibility
In recognition of the diversity within and across the area of women and leadership — as well as the wide variety of scholarly traditions and practices around the globe — nominees need not be members of ILA or the ILA Women and Leadership member community to be eligible for the awards. However, nominators must be members of ILA. Self-nominations will not be accepted.
Submit Your Nomination
Please send the following materials as email attachments to the Women and Leadership Membership and Awards Committee Chair, Vicki Wuolle (vwuolle1@gmail.com), by Monday, 7 April 2025. The email subject line should read “WLMC Awards Nomination.”
1. A letter of nomination that articulates: (1) the award type – Outstanding Scholarship for Established Scholars, Outstanding Scholarship for Emerging Scholars, Outstanding Practice for Local Impact, or Outstanding Practice for Broad Impact; (2) the contribution of the nominated individual to the area of women and leadership, including elaboration on specific publications, presentations, or practices; and, (3) the significance and implications of the nominated individual’s scholarship or practice with regard to women and leadership. Nomination letters should not exceed 1,500 words in length.
2. A copy of the nominee’s curriculum vitae or resume, including the nominee’s contact information.
3. If applicable, the person nominating an individual may provide a link to the nominee’s blog, website, or other internet platform as long as it is relevant to the required information. Be sure the link (URL) is valid.
4. If deemed necessary by the reviewing committee, additional information may be requested later in the process, including letters in support of the nominee from individuals other than the nominator. In this case, the nominator will be contacted to facilitate the requested information.
About the Awards
The Outstanding Scholarship for Established Scholars award recognizes excellence in the scholarship of a seasoned scholar whose published work (theoretical, empirical, or applied) has advanced the understanding of women in leadership in a significant way. The Outstanding Scholarship for Established Scholars award may acknowledge a body of research or a single piece of research. Nominees typically will have been involved in scholarship for at least 5 years.
The Outstanding Scholarship for Emerging Scholars award recognizes excellence in the scholarship of a graduate student or early career scholar whose presentations, dissertation, and/or published work (theoretical, empirical, or applied) has the potential to advance or already has advanced the understanding of women in leadership in a significant way. The Outstanding Scholarship for Emerging Scholars award may acknowledge a body of research or a single piece of research. Nominees typically will have been involved in scholarship for fewer than 5 years.
The Outstanding Practice With Broad Impact award recognizes excellence in the practice of an individual whose advocacy, commitment, or actions in support of women in leadership has influenced individuals, audiences, organizations, or broad communities. The award recipient is someone who practices leadership — from outside or from within the academic arena — with a focus on women and leadership and has benefited women in a variety of areas and arenas beyond the recipient’s local sphere, resulting in broad impact. Nominees typically will have been involved in practice for at least 5 years.
The Outstanding Practice With Local Impact award recognizes excellence in the practice of an individual whose advocacy, commitment, or actions in support of women in leadership has influenced individuals and audiences within their organization or community. The award recipient is someone who practices leadership — from outside or from within the academic arena — with a focus on women and leadership and has implemented a substantial change, policy, or event that has benefited women within a local sphere. Nominees typically will have been involved in practice for at least 5 years.
Past Winners
Outstanding Scholarship for Established Scholars
2022: Marlene Janzen Le Ber, Ph.D., Professor, Leadership Studies Distinguished Chair, Centre for Leadership Brescia University College, Western University
2022: Sherylle J. Tan, Ph.D., Director of Internships and KLI Research, Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology Kravis Leadership Institute, Claremont McKenna College
2022: Lisa DeFrank-Cole, Ph.D., Endowed Harriet E. Lyon Professor of Women and Gender Studies and the Director of Leadership Studies and Clinical Professor of Leadership at West Virginia University
2021: Dionne Rosser-Mims, Ph.D., Campus Vice Chancellor, Troy University
2019: Karen Longman, Professor & PhD Program Director, Higher Education, Azusa Pacific University
2017: Faith Wambura Ngunjiri, Associate Professor, Concordia College
Outstanding Scholarship for Emerging Scholars
2022: Candace Brunette-Debassige, Ph.D., Assistant Tenure-Track Professor, Western University
2021: Sherry A. Maykrantz, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Public Health, College of Health and Human Services, Salisbury University
2021: Carla Penha-Vasconcelos, Ph.D. – Independent Scholar
2019: Wendy Fox-Kirk, Department Chair, Business Administration & Marketing, Goddard School of Business, Weber State University
2017: Paige Haber-Curran, Associate Professor, Texas State University
Outstanding Practice With Broad Impact
2022: Éliane Ubalijoro, Ph.D., Executive Director, Sustainability in the Digital Age
2021: Denise Thomson, EdD, Executive Coach & Consultant, DeWitt-Thomson, LLC
2020: Yolanda Caldwell, Director, The Women’s Leadership Institute and BOLD Women’s Leadership Network, The College of Saint Rose
2019: Susan Madsen, Karen Haight Huntsman Endowed Professor of Leadership, Jon M Huntsman School of Business, Utah State University
2017: Sara Safari, Author & Board Member, Empower Nepali Girls
Outstanding Practice With Local Impact
2022: Ann Marie Berghout Austin, Ph.D., Retired Professor of Child Development Department of Family, Consumer, and Human Development Utah State University
2021: Chrys Egan, Ph.D. Communication Professor and Associate Dean of the Fulton School of Liberal Arts, Salisbury University
2021: Kathleen S. Grove, MA, JD, Director, Office for Women, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis
2020: Carol Clyde Gallagher, Assistant Professor, Organizational Leadership, Cottey College; Mayor Pro Tem, Nevada, MO
2019: Janice Cardwell, CEO and Executive Coach, Conceivers Leadership Development Group; Dissertation Chair, College of Doctoral Studies, University of Phoenix
2017: Geneva Murray, Director, Women’s Center, Ohio University
