Dayton, Ohio (June 4, 2026) — The Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) has announced 52 Excellence Awards recipients from across 21 member institutions for the 2025-2026 school year.

 

Each school selected one Faculty Excellence Award winner based on their institution’s criteria, with special consideration of demonstrated excellence in teaching, service, and/or scholarship. Similarly, the schools each chose one Staff Excellence Award winner based on their institution’s criteria, with special consideration of demonstrated excellence in student success, service, and/or assessment.

 

Finally, each college or university selected a winner for the Campus Impact Award, which is based on institutional selection criteria, with special consideration for performance that made a positive impact on the school or campus, as a whole. This category is open to faculty, staff, or administrators.

SOCHE will honor several award winners each month from June 2026 through April 2027. Faculty and staff winners will be highlighted via SOCHE social media channels and on the SOCHE Excellence Awards webpage. The full list of this year’s award winners and their supporting information is available here – https://www.soche.org/2025-2026-soche-excellence-awards/

 

Formed in 1967, Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education is a consortium of 31 colleges and universities located throughout Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. SOCHE is the regional leader for higher collaboration, engaging with colleges, universities, and industry to transform the economy through the education and employment of nearly 200,000 students in the Midwest. See more at www.soche.org

2025-2026 SOCHE Excellence Award Recipients (by institution):

AIR FORCE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 

• Jennifer Blanchard | Program Manager, Medical Residency and Fellowship Programs | Staff Excellence Award

• Dr. William N. Caballero | Assistant Professor of Operations Research | Faculty Excellence Award

• Damon Z. Smith | Supervisory Education Specialist | Campus Impact Award

 

ANTIOCH COLLEGE 

• Monique Cooper | Associate Director of Operations, Academic and Student Affairs | Staff Excellence Award

• Jacqueline Gaines | Assistant Professor, Cooperative Education | Faculty Excellence Award

• Meg Miller | Director of Annual Giving | Department of Advancement | Campus Impact Award

 

CEDARVILLE UNIVERSITY 

• Dr. Luke T. Fredette | Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering | School of Engineering and Computer Science | Faculty Excellence Award

• Jeffrey C. Reep | Director of Career Services | Campus Impact Award

• Cheryl A. Shupe | Executive Assistant, Vice President for Business & CFO | Staff Excellence Award

 

CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY 

• Dr. Patrick Anderson | Associate Professor of Philosophy | Department of Humanities | Faculty Excellence Award

• Charlene Edwards | Administrative Coordinator, Department of Agricultural and Life Sciences | Staff Excellence Award

• Dr. Susan Speight | Associate Professor of Animal Science | Department of Agricultural and Life Sciences | Campus Impact Award

 

CLARK STATE COLLEGE 

• Dan Ayars | Director, Facilities, Operations, and Maintenance | Staff Excellence Award

• Robin Littell | Project Director, Aspire | Campus Impact Award

• Emily Samples | Assistant Professor, Nursing | Faculty Excellence Award

 

EDISON STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE 

• Jessica Edwards | Director of Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning & Innovation | Campus Impact Award

• Christina Raterman | Director of Advancement | Staff Excellence Award

• Leah Wells | Associate Professor | Director of Associate Degree in Nursing | Faculty Excellence Award

 

GOD’S BIBLE SCHOOL AND COLLEGE 

• Janna Cressman | Assistant Professor, Division of Professional Studies | Faculty Excellence Award

 

KETTERING COLLEGE 

• Rebecca Ingle | Director of Student Success | Staff Excellence Award

• Dr. Paula Reams | Dean of Nursing | Campus Impact Award 

• Tim Scanlon | Department Chair and Associate Professor, Master of Physician Assistant Studies | Faculty Excellence Award

 

MIAMI UNIVERSITY 

• Dr. Amber Franklin | Associate Professor, Speech Pathology and Audiology | Faculty Excellence Award

 

MIAMI UNIVERSITY REGIONALS 

• Dr. Marianne Cotugno | Professor of English | Campus Impact Award

• Kelly McDaniel-Hayes | Administrative Assistant, Office of the Vice President and Dean, and External Relations & Communications | Staff Excellence Award

• Dr. Matthew Nunes | Associate Teaching Professor of English Studies | Faculty Excellence Award

 

MOUNT ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY 

• Swati Chopra | Associate Professor of Graphic Design | Faculty Excellence Award

 

NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY 

• Emily Dobbs | Biology Laboratory Manager | Department of Biological Sciences | Staff Excellence Award

• Dr. Holly Riffe | Professor of Social Work | Campus Impact Award

• Dr. Sandra Spataro | Professor of Management | Faculty Excellence Award

 

SHAWNEE STATE UNIVERSITY 

• Dr. Lindsay Monihen | Field and Clinical Coordinator | School of Education | Staff Excellence Award

• Jordan Murrey | Assistant Professor and Academic Program Director | Plastics Engineering Technology | Faculty Excellence Award

• Dr. Christine Raber | Dean, College of Health and Human Services | Campus Impact Award

 

SINCLAIR COMMUNITY COLLEGE 

• Lajmar Anderson | Librarian – Reference & Archives | Staff Excellence Award

• Kelly Brown | Assistant Professor, Mental Health and Addiction Services Department | Faculty Excellence Award

 

SOUTHERN STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE 

• Rainee Angles | Professor of Speech and Theatre | SSCC Theatre Director | Faculty Excellence Award

• Elizabeth Burkard | Director of Marketing | Campus Impact Award

• Dr. Jeff Montgomery | College Credit Plus Coordinator | Staff Excellence Award

 

THE CHRIST COLLEGE OF NURSING AND HEALTH SCIENCES 

• Jillian Ellis | Assistant Professor, Chemistry | Faculty Excellence Award

• Bertha Garcia-Rojas | Science Lab Manager | Staff Excellence Award

 

UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI 

• Dr. Gail Fairhurst | Distinguished University Research Professor | School of Communication, Film, & Media Studies | Faculty Excellence Award

 

UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON 

• Patrick Enright | Director of Flyer Media | Staff Excellence Award

• Dr. Tam Nguyen | Associate Professor of Computer Science | Faculty Excellence Award

 

WILMINGTON COLLEGE 

• Steve Cukovecki | Assistant Professor of Sports Management | Program Director of Sport Management | Enrollment Faculty Representative | Faculty Excellence Award

• Nancy McCormick | Campus Minister | Campus Impact Award 

• Sonja Wilkin | Administrative Assistant to VP Academic Affairs/Dean of Faculty | Staff Excellence Award

 

WITTENBERG UNIVERSITY 

• Carol Nickoson | Director of Human Resources | Staff Excellence Award

• Dr. Richard Phillips | Associate Professor of Biological and Environmental Sciences | Faculty Excellence Award

• Grace Sever | Senior Director of Academic Services | Campus Impact Award

 

WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY 

• Cassandra Guard | Academic Support Coordinator, Boonshoft School of Medicine | Staff Excellence Award

• Dr. Karen Lahm | Professor of Sociology and Director, Crime and Justice Studies Program | Faculty Excellence Award

• Dr. Patrick Sonner | Director of First-Year Experiences and Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences | Campus Impact Award