Awards and Recognition
Each year, AFA recognizes outstanding contributions by our members and colleagues for individual achievement, outstanding programming & practices, and for work published across AFA’s publications.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE 2025 AFA AWARD RECIPIENTS
Learn more about AFA’s awards and view all past recipients at the following links:
Nominations
The 2026 AFA Awards Nomination Forms are now open! All nominations are due by 11:59 PM PT on Friday, May 22, 2026.
View Award Nomination Questions
For any additional questions about the 2026 awards process, please contact Kristen Kardas, 2026 AFA Awards & Recognition Chair.
Nomination Tips
Please review these 10 Tips for an Outstanding Nomination as you prepare to submit a nomination. The submission form allows you to begin a nomination and go back to it later, so you do not need to complete the nomination submission all at once.
Individual Awards
Nominators can use the submission form to nominate for the following Individual Awards. As part of their submission, nominators will have the opportunity to upload letters of support. Only three (3) letters of support can be uploaded for each nominee. Strong letters of support go beyond statements about personal relationships and address the nominee’s achievement of the award’s criteria.
- Dr. Kent L. Gardner Award (senior college/university administrator)
- Jack L. Anson Award (non-campus professional or volunteer)
- Dr. Robert H. Shaffer Award (campus professional)
- Sue Kraft Fussell Distinguished Service Awards
- Gayle Webb New Professional Award
- Dissertation of the Year Award, Presented by Dyad Strategies*
* Letters of support are not included in nominations for this award
Learn More about Letters of Support
Elevation in Practice Award Nominations
Focusing on innovation, impact and inclusion, the Elevation in Practice awards focus less on traditional programming and more on originality towards advancements of the modern fraternal movement. These awards highlight up to three winners in the three categories. Full descriptions and criteria for each of the Elevation in Practice Awards can be found here.
New this year, nominators for any of the Elevation in Practice Awards categories will have the opportunity to upload up to three supporting materials that help to demonstrate the nominated practice/program’s achievement of the award criteria. Supporting materials may include feedback data, testimonials, program materials, or any other documentation that supports the nomination’s demonstration of the award criteria.
Additionally, recipients of the Elevation in Practice Awards will each be given the opportunity to present a 50-minute Educational Session at the 2026 Annual Meeting highlighting their winning practice or program. This is a chance to share impactful work with colleagues across the field and further elevate innovative approaches within our industry. If you are submitting a proposal through the Call for Programs about an exceptional practice your team has implemented or a program your organization hosts, consider submitting an Elevation in Practice Award nomination for it as well.