08/29/2024

2025 CSCA Pearson and Nelson Award Call

2025 CSCA Pearson and Nelson Award Call

We are now accepting nomination applications for the 2025 Central States Communication Association (CSCA) Pearson and Nelson Outstanding New Teacher Award. This award recognizes individuals early in their professional career who are showing distinction as teachers. Nominees may be teaching at any level from grade school through graduate school. The committee reserves the right to award several individuals at different academic levels (e.g., K-12, community college, university), so individuals from all types of institutions are encouraged to apply.
 
Nominees must (a) be in their first five years of full-time teaching; (b) be members of CSCA at the time they apply; and (c) attend the conference the year in which the award is presented (2025 in Cincinnati, OH). Prior recipients are not eligible.
 
To be considered for the Pearson and Nelson Outstanding New Teacher Award, nominees must electronically submit a nomination packet not to exceed 25 pages excluding cover page, index page, curriculum vita, and/or divider pages. Packets that exceed the page limit will be returned without review. Nomination packets must include (1) a letter of nomination citing the nominee’s accomplishments; (2) the nominee’s current curriculum vita; (3) three letters of support from students, colleagues, supervisors, and/or administrators; (4) course/instructor evaluation summaries from no more than three recent academic terms (e.g., comments and ratings with explanation of rating scale norms); (5) a description of the nominee’s teaching load, including student advising; and (6) at least two samples of personal instructional materials/resources. All of these materials must be combined into a single .pdf file and submitted to the committee chair.
 
The materials must be received by December 1, 2024.

Please submit the materials and any inquiries electronically to: Jessica Rick at jmrick@ilstu.edu referencing Pearson and Nelson Award in the subject line. All applications submitted by the deadline will receive an email response confirming receipt of their materials.
 
The recipient(s) of the Pearson and Nelson Outstanding New Teacher Award are recognized at the Hall of Fame Awards Luncheon and Business Meeting at the 2025 CSCA convention.

Chair: Jessica Rick, Illinois State University
Vice-Chair: Nichole Egbert, Kent State University
Holly Holladay, Missouri State University
Ahmet Aksoy, Columbia College
Tiffany Bell, Valparaiso University