Award Recipients

Congratulations to the 2023 Winners!

Learn more about these awards here.

Tribute Award 1

amy feiferAmy Feifer
Haverford College

Amy Feifer is the Dean of Career and Professional Advising and has worked in several roles for career services at Haverford since 1989. Amy previously started her work in career services at her alma mater, Franklin & Marshall College. Amy's involvement in EACE started early in her career, serving on and chairing numerous committees and task forces (including Leadership Development and Long Range Planning), chairing the 1994 Annual Conference in Philadelphia, establishing a mentoring program for MAACE (the precursor organization to EACE), and served in several roles on the Board of Directors for MAPA, MAACE, and culminating in serving as EACE President in 2001- 2002. As President, Amy led a restructuring of administrative services for the organization and a restructuring of the Board to include a new role at the time of a Technology Director. Amy truly feels she has gained so much from EACE which is why she has been actively involved with this special organization throughout her entire career.

Tribute Award 2

donna ratcliffeDonna Cassell Ratcliffe
Virginia Tech

During her 42 years in the career services field, Donna Cassell Ratcliffe served as director at King University, the University of New Mexico, and for 20 years at Virginia Tech.  At Virginia Tech, Donna also engaged in the life of the institution, one example being 20+ years as an affiliate faculty member of the Higher Education masters and doctoral program.  

In professional association leadership roles, Donna served on the Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers executive board 2007-2010, as president (2008-2009) and a member of the Regional ACEs Presidents’ Council.  Donna also served as committee co-chair of Awards and Research Grants, Consulting Services, and Sponsorships, and a member of the Nominations Committee.

For seven years, Donna was a Virginia Association of Colleges and Employers board member, including president (2000-2001). She served on NACE’s Career Readiness Competency Committee and co-led the development of NACE’s on-line career readiness tool kit. Due to this growing area of expertise, CareerSpots, Inc. invited Donna to co-author The Career Ready Guide (2018).

When providing consulting services, Donna especially enjoys leading and participating on external review teams to evaluate university career services operations; written reports resulted in redesigned and increased staffing, new office space, improved campus and employer relations, increased resources, and the elevated visibility of career services.


Outstanding Member Award 1

tracey hantonTracey Hanton
University of Purdue Fort Wayne

Tracey Hanton is the Associate Director of Career Development at Purdue University Fort Wayne. She serves as the Career Liaison for The College of Arts and Sciences, Visual and Performing Arts and for Diverse Student populations and Affinity groups. She is the Coordinator for the Endorsed Career Ready Program. She has more than 15 years’ experience in career development in higher education. She holds a BA and MA in Communications from Temple and LaSalle respectively.

She has been an active member of EACE since 2017 and has received the 2019 Rising Star Award. She has served on the Conference committee co-chairing the Entertainment Committee (2018-2019) and Community Service sub-committee (2019-2020). She currently sat on the DEI task force for 2 years. She co-chaired the Professional Development and DEI Scholarship committee. She currently is one of the co chairs for the DEI committee.

She serves on various boards in Philadelphia and is active in various Professional organizations. She enjoys working with youth and has a desire to continue her work in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion spaces. She is a Philadelphia native, who owns her own candle business.  She has 2 grown sons and 1 adorable grandson. She enjoys dancing, spending with family and friends and genealogy.

Outstanding Member Award 2

whitney kerrWhitney Kerr
Lincoln University of Pennsylvania

Whitney A. Kerr (They/She) is a self-proclaimed Career Development nerd. She has made it her life’s mission to help people “grow and glow professionally” by serving as a guiding light on their journey towards personal and professional success. Prior to her current role serving as Director of Career and Workforce Development at Lincoln University, she served as the Senior Co-op Advisor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Drexel University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Child and Adolescent Studies from Bowie State University, a master’s in Career Development from the College of New Rochelle, and is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Education in Policy, Planning and Administration from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. She is an active member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, Beta Delta Zeta Chapter in Philadelphia, PA.

Within EACE, Whitney currently serves as co-chair for the 2023 Annual Conference. She previously served two years on the Conference Experience Committee and on the D&I Committee. Currently, Whitney cohosts EACE Conversations with Phil & Whit. 


Rising Star Award

ana lobatonAna Lobaton
George Mason University

I am currently an Employer Engagement Consultant at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. In my role, I help employers within the Business, Nonprofit, and Education industries on their recruiting needs. I thoroughly enjoy working with employers because I am able to help build their organizations presence on campus, but also help find new and unique ways on how they can interact with students. Prior to Mason, I worked in the sports industry as a ticketing account executive, which allowed me to develop my customer service and relationship building skills that I’m now able to use within my role at Mason. For EACE, I currently serve as a member of the PR & Marketing Committee. In this committee, I help create content for EACE’s social media channels, while also helping to build the organizations brand through external communications and campaigns. As a new member of EACE (and attending my first conference in 2022), I have been able to meet many diverse people within the industry and also find ways to continue to grow as a professional. In my personal time, I enjoy traveling, reading mystery-thriller books, spending time with family and friends, and being active through soccer and boxing!


Excellence in Program Development & Innovation Award 1

erica elyErica Ely
University of Maryland, College Park
University Career Center & The President's Promise

EDCP108i: Academic Transitions to Internships &
PSYC123: The Psychology of Getting Hired

The University Career Center at the University of Maryland has, managed by Erica Ely, successfully leveraged two different one-credit, mostly asynchronous online career courses to reach a large (1000+ students/year) and growing (up 33-45% last year and on track for even greater growth this year) number of students. Despite their asynchronous nature, these courses (PSYC123: The Psychology of Getting Hired & EDCP108i: Academic Transitions to Internships focused on internship searching) feature “live” touchpoints, utilizing approximately 100 alumni and employer volunteers, who conduct mock interviews and resume reviews to further enhance the curricula and provide key coverage that the existing career center staff could not complete for such large classes. Connecting with these alumni and employer volunteers is an especially powerful part of this course for students, yielding important networking connections.  In both classes, more than half (56-60%) of the students in 2021-2022 were students of color or international students.

 Additional Team Members:

  • Kevin Kenneally, Olivia Rosenburg, & Lizzy Solovey
  • Course Administration Support + Course Instructors/Tas: Erin Callahan, Patrice Greene, Sangida Akter
  • Other Instructors of EDCP108i: Kevin Kenneally (Center), Jenny Sak (Center), Caroline Bodnar (ARHU), Olivia Rosenburg (CMNS), Julie Randolph & Korey Rothman (CIVICUS), Liza Lebrun & Lizzy Solovey (ENGR), Erin Moody & Ronda Ansted (ECON)
  • Supervisory Support: Erin Rooney-Eckel

Excellence in Program Development & Innovation Award 2

Michael Dunn
Center for Career & Professional Development
St. Mary’s College of Maryland

CCPD Professional Pathways Program

St. Mary’s College of Maryland, the National Public Honors College, is a small liberal arts institution in southern Maryland. A distinctive feature of a St. Mary’s College education is the Learning through Experiential and Applied Discovery (LEAD) curriculum, which is required for graduation. The LEAD curriculum includes the Professional Pathways courses, a robust sequence of career-readiness courses that are required of all incoming new students. These courses are designed and implemented by staff in the Center for Career & Professional Development (CCPD). The Professional Pathways courses launched as a pilot program in fall 2018. Since that time, the program has grown to include three different courses. During a student’s first year, they are enrolled in two introductory one-credit courses in which they explore their strengths and interests, learn basic professional writing and interview skills, participate in networking events, develop a career exploration plan, and discover the NACE career readiness competencies. As a sophomore or junior, students enroll in a two-credit Honors College externship course, taught by a subject matter expert about a particular career field. These unique courses include classroom activities, lessons focused on NACE competencies, and hands-on experiences outside of class so that students are well-prepared for an internship in a particular area. The subject matter experts who teach the Honors College externship courses are drawn from industry, alumni communities, and other networks.

Additional Team Members:

  • Meghan Druzgala, Professional Pathways Externship Coordinator
  • Julianne Petrilla, Coordinator for the First Year Professional Pathways

Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion Award

monique sampleMonique Sample
VCU Career Services

VCU PRIME

VCU Career Services became the home of a program called VCU PRIME when we inherited the Pre-Professional Health Advising department in Summer 2020. VCU PRIME (Pre-Health and Related Interests Mentoring Experiences) is a student-led, networking initiative connecting members to organizations, resources, and healthcare professionals. It was founded on a need to assist underrepresented students, connecting them to resources and people to help them become competitive candidates for health programs. When the founder left VCU, it created a gap in support for the program that has garnered University support and national recognition. Having already served in various supportive capacities, Monique Sample, stepped up to take on leadership for the program. Under her leadership, the organization has grown to support 700+ student members. In addition to PRIME, Monique has helped with DEI-related events and resources including our Diversity Career and Internship Fair, workshops on inclusive professional networking and dining etiquette practices, engaging VCU students with disabilities in the Workforce Recruitment Program, writing a VCS Team Diversity Statement, and creating and updating a new Identity + Career webpage with information on how students can best advocate for themselves during the job search and interview process, with resources that support their often intersecting identities.


Past Year Award Recipients:

Innovation & Leadership Awards

These awards are designed to honor innovation and contributions to our field, as well as, recognize leadership and best practices in the industries of HR/recruiting and career services.

Distinguished Leadership Award

This award honors outstanding and lasting contributions of such magnitude and quality to both EACE and the advancement of the field at-large as to merit public recognition and acclaim.

  • 2017: Dr. Alicia Monroe, Rowan University
  • 2013: Marianne Tramelli, Columbia University
  • 2012: Helen Brown, Vector Marketing
  • 2011: Donna Cassell Ratcliffe, Virginia Tech
  • 2010: Tom Tarantelli, Rennselear Polytechnic Institute
  • 2003: 
    • Patricia J. Carretta, George Mason University
    •  Amy Feifer, Haverford/Bryn Mawr
    • Janet Jones, Rutgers University
    • Sam Ratcliffe, Virginia Military Institute 
  • 2001: 
    • Sam Hall, Howard University
    • Eric Schlesinger, The World Bank
  • 1998: Carol Dedrick, National Starch and Chemical

Innovation in Assessment

This award honors outstanding models and/or best practices in programs and/or operational assessment processes.

  • 2019: Joanne Ott, Assitant Director, Drexel University Steinbright Career Development Center
  • 2018: University of Connecticut Center for Career Development
  • 2015: Mansoor Khan and Michelle Kyriakides, St. John's University
  • 2014: Leslie Stevenson & Megan Wallace, University of Richmond

Innovation in Program Development

This award honors outstanding program development in recruiting or career services that can serve as a model program for others in the field to replicate.

  • 2022: Nancy Bilmes, University of Connecticut
  • 2021: Cheryl Finlay, University of Pittsburgh
  • 2020: Robbin Beauchamp, Wentworth Institute of Technology 
  • 2019:
    • University Career Center, Experiential Learning Unit, University of Maryland - College Park
    • Sabeen Sherikh, Darlene Johynson, and Liz Sposato, Hofstra University
  • 2017: Scott Dranka, Nicole Gauthier, Sherry Gomez, Michael Hill & Laurie Wrona, Springfield College
  • 2016: Courtney Hine, Nikki Sandoval, Francine Blume, Darren Cox, Rachel Shannon, Ann Martin, Rena Joseph, Rhoda Smackum, Cathy Francois, Brandi Malone, Kaitlin O'Connor, Harriett Hayes-Hubbard, University of Maryland University College
  • 2015:
    • Karin Asher, Allie Zalar, Alyson Kavalukas, & Alyssa Camerota, University of Pittsburgh

    • Bill McCarthy, Binghamton University

  • 2014: Jeanette Doyle, Springfield College

Innovation in Diversity & Inclusion

This award honors those who have made outstanding contributions and demonstrated innovation in the field of minority affairs and special populations.

  • 2022: Lisa Famularo & Tara Malone, University of Connecticut & George Mason University Career Services
  • 2021: Lisa Famularo, University of Connecticut
  • 2020: Amanda Machonis, Phyllis Schoen, Lynn Hewitt, and Cherie Fishbaugh, Career Development Center and Dub-C Autism Program at West Chester University
  • 2019: Lisa McGuire, Assistant Director, Corp. Partner Relations, University of Connecticut
  • 2018: Sharon Mickens, Devin Bristol, Anastasia Lopez, Jocelyn Gaydos, Karin Asher, & Megan Zimmerman, Kristen Manchor, University of Pittsburgh
  • 2017: Kimberly Dixon, Stony Brook University
  • 2016: 
    • Nancy Bilmes & Jim Lowe, University of Connecticut
    • Anna Young, Leslie Stevenson, Tina Cade & Ted Lewis, University of Richmond
  • 2015: Stephanie Angellotto, Kory Collins, Amy Todd, Karen Fox, Kurt Styers, Eunice Cardenas & Rebecca Taylor, Vanguard
  • 2004: Monster.com & Raytheon
  • 2002: Leslie Williams, University of Virginia
  • 2001: Dan Ryan, University of Buffalo
  • 2000: Vicki Lynn, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
  • 1998: Patricia Smith, Millersville University

Innovation in Technology

  • 2022: Jessamyn Perlus, Ph.D and Team, Cornell University

Innovation in Crisis Leadership (2021 only)

  • Small School: Amy Feifer, Haverford College
  • Large School: Graduate Support Task Force, University of Pittsburgh

 

 

  EACE Service Awards

These awards are designed to recognize outstanding member service and involvement with our Association.

Tribute Award

Recognizes members who have consistently contributed to EACE through service and participation on committees, presentations, and conferences. The recipients of this award have had at least 6 years of involvement within the organization.

  • 2022: Shannon Conklin, The College of New Jersey
  • 2021: Dr. Alicia Monroe, Rowan University
  • 2020: Scott Rappaport, Associate Director of Career Development, Saint Joseph's University
  • 2019: Jennifer Barr, Associate Director & Pre-Law Advisor, Haverford College
  • 2018: Dr. Sam Ratcliffe, Director, Career Services, Military Institute
  • 2017: Robbin Beauchamp, Wentworth Institute of Technology
  • 2015: 2011: Claire Benton, Cornell University
    • Gerald Tang, Baruch College
    • Stacy McClelland, Enterprise Holdings
  • 2009:2008: Walter Tarver III, StocktonUniversity
    • Kimberly Joy Dixon, Stony Brook University - SUNY
    • Rachel Yudell, Temple University
  • 2007: Matthew Brink, St. Joseph's University
  • 2006:
    • Karen Polyniak, Stevens Institute of Technology
    • Lori DelGuidice, Rutgers University

Outstanding Member 

Recognizes those who have made outstanding contributions through their involvement in EACE with a membership of at least 3 years or greater.

  • 2022: Phil Wilkerson III, George Mason University
  • 2021: Cheresa Fewell, St. John's University
  • 2020: Gerald Tang, Associate Director, Operations and Marketing, Starr Career Development Center at Baruch College
  • 2019:
    • Dorothy Hayden, Industry Advisor for Engineering Careers for University Career Services, George Mason University
    • Laurent Troland, Assitant Director, Bridgewater State University  
  • 2018: Kate Juhl, Program Director, College of Arts & Humanities, University of Maryland College Park
  • 2017: Christine Cervelli, New Jersey Institute of Technology
  • 2016: Jennifer Barr, Haverford College
  • 2015: Tracey Cantabene, Stevenson University
  • 2014: Tammy Samuels, Duke University
  • 2013: Ayanna Wilcher, KPMG
  • 2012:
    • Ray Ruiz, KPMG
    • Sharitta Gross, Rochester Institute of Technology
  • 2011:
    • Jennifer Broyles, Rutgers University
    •  Amy McPherson, Virginia Tech
  • 2009:
    • Christy Hanson, Messiah College
    •  Sharon M. Powers, Bryn Mawr/Haverford College
  • 2008: Helen Brown, Vector Marketing
  • 2007:
    • Lori DelGuidice, Honeywell International
    • Terri Moore, Time Warner Cable
  • 2006: Angella Griffin, George Washington University
  • 2005: Camille Franklin, American University
  • 2004: Monica Ko
  • 2003:
    • Adrienne C. Alberts, Johns Hopkins University
    • Fayth N. Litke, Enterprise Rent-A-Car
  • 2002: Michael Sciola, Wesleyan University

Outstanding New Member/Rising Star 

Recognizes those who have made outstanding contributions through their involvement in EACE within the first 3 years of membership.

  • 2022: Narali Taglialavore, Suffolk University
  • 2021: Kayla Lauricella, Fordham University
  • 2020: Marisol Rosado-Perez, Career Counselor and Academic Coach, Widener University
  • 2019:
    • Tracey Hanton, CPRW, Career Connections Specialist, Community College of Philadelphia
    • Mia Wittels, M.S.Ed, Assistant Director, Industry Advising, Villanova University 
  • 2018: Steve Savitsky, Career Advisor, Center for Career Development, Curry College
  • 2017: Stefano Verdesoto, Hofstra University
  • 2016: Scott Mannion, Babson College
  • 2015: Katie Vagen, Bridgewater State University
  • 2014: 
    • Christine Falcone, St. Joseph's University
    • Sara Jaques, Stevenson University
  • 2011: Gerald Tang, Columbia University
  • 2009:
    • Jennifer Rossi, Saint Joseph's University
    •  Stacey H. Brown, University of Maryland, College Park
  • 2008: Jennifer Wickersham, Villanova University
  • 2007: Effie Parpos, Babson College
  • 2006: Scott Rappaport, Widener University
  • 2005: Nathan Elton, Villanova University
  • 2004: Trisha Crowe, University of Pittsburgh
  • 2003: Kara Heisey, Duke University
  • 2002:
    • Terri Moore, University of Virginia 
    • Laura Watts, Rochester Institute of Technology
  • 2001:
    • Craig Single, JobDirect.com
    • Michelle Watson, Lehigh University
  • 2000:
    • Adrienne C. Alberts, University of Virginia
    • Peter Pristic, EDS
  • 1998: Grace Figueredo, CVS Pharmacy

Presidential Citations

The President presents these citations to members who have provided outstanding service to EACE during the past year.  (Past 2 years.)

2021:

Shannon Conklin

Kate Darcy Hohenthal

Amy Drakesmith

Ashley Forsythe

Jennifer Friary

Jenn Grauso

Tibisay Hernandez

Casey Hilferty

Darlene Johnson

Ali Joyce

Alison Maccarone

Jill Milon

Steve Savitsky

Terri Smith

Philip Wilkerson

Patrick Young

Barbara Zito

2022:

Mary Alice Barrows

Maureen Brown

Leigh-Anne Cobb

Kristin Eicholz

Cheresa Fewell

Jermaine Harris

Ali Joyce

Kate Juhl

Kayla Lauricella

Jen Rossi Long

Chris Miciek

Jenny Nesenjuk

Mallory Powell

Joe Santacroce

Narali Taglialavore

Laurent Troland

 

Outstanding Service Award (discontinued): 2013: Jill Milion, Consultant; 2011: Cailin Pachter, Muhlenberg College; 2010: Walter Tarver, The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey

Distinguished Service Award (discontinued): 2013: Marianne Tramelli, Teachers College Columbia University; 2012: Helen Brown, Vector Marketing; 2010: Tom Tarantelli, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute