ORLANDO, FL. – The National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals (N4A) has announced the 2019 recipients of its Professional Promise, Professional Excellence, Model Practices and Research Awards. The winners were formally recognized on Thursday, June 6 during 2019 N4A Convention at the World Center Marriott in Orlando, Florida.

"N4A has a rich tradition of high-impact young professionals and aspiring leaders in our industry. This year's honorees are shining examples of that legacy of success," said Mike Meade, N4A President and Senior Associate Athletics Director at the University of Oklahoma. "On behalf of the N4A Board of Directors, I congratulate this extraordinary group of award recipients. It is because of their valuable contributions, and those of members like them that our Association continues to thrive."

Professional Promise Award
Given annually to one member from each region, the N4A Professional Promise Award honors "new" professionals who serve student-athletes and who have dedicated their energy to the Association and its mission. Winners must have been N4A members for more than one year but fewer than five years.

The 2018-19 Professional Promise Award recipients are:
 

REGION I	Kelsi Schaer University of Pittsburgh
REGION II	Kristia Worthy University of Louisville
REGION III	Michael Woo Indiana University
REGION IV	Divine Franklin Baylor University
REGION V	Aaron Davis University of Arizona

 
Professional Excellence Award

Given to one member from each N4A Region, the N4A Professional Excellence Award recognizes professionals with 6 - 15 years in the field who meet the following criteria:

• N4A involvement at the regional and/or national level
• Commitment to improving his/her department, often going above and beyond the tasks/responsibilities outlined in their job description
• Ability to meet their students' needs and address critical issues within athletics and/or the campus community
• Viewed as a leader/mentor among his/her colleagues and is well-respected within the industry

The 2018-19 Professional Excellence Award recipients are:
 

REGION I	Ryan Westman New York University
REGION II	Maria Herbst Clemson University
REGION III	Jeremy Flynn Michigan State University
REGION IV	Lisa Rubin Kansas State University
REGION V	Dana Kuwahara Santa Clara University

 
Model Practices Award

The N4A Model Practices Awards are given annually to a N4A-affiliated university or college that displays best practices in their programming for student-athletes (this includes, but is not limited to academic advising, academic integrity, disability services, target populations, learning specialists, tutoring, study hall/table, student-athlete affairs / life skills). Two awards are presented each year -- one in the area of academics, and one in the area of student-athlete development.

The 2018-19 Model Practices Award winners are:
 

Math Support Program	Louisiana State University
Suited for Career Success Series	Texas Tech University

 
Research Award

The Research Award is given to a graduate student working on a dissertation/thesis or a practitioner completing a research project to put towards future research with the hopes of sharing with the organization.

The 2018-19 Research Award recipients are:
 

How Much Does This Matter?: A Quantitative Measurement of Effectiveness in Student-Athlete Career Development Programming	Daniel Wray	The Ohio State University
Job Satisfaction, Burnout, and Voluntary Turnover Intention: A Study of National Collegiate Athletic Association Athletic Academic Counselors	Denise Jilka	University of Tennessee
	Robin Hardin	University of Tennessee
	Elizabeth A. Taylor	Temple University

 
About N4A: N4A, which has been in existence since 1975, is a diverse educational service and professional non-profit organization. Membership of N4A includes academic support and student services personnel who are committed to enhancing opportunities for academic, athletics and personal success for student-athletes. For more information on N4A, visit www.nfoura.org. N4A is administered by NACDA, now in its 54^th year, administers 17 professional associations, including seven for the separate business units that report directly to the athletics directors. For more information on NACDA, visit www.nacda.com.