Enjoy the Spotlight

LICSPA recognizes the outstanding achievement of member institutions and individual higher education professionals each year at the Annual Conference.

November 9, 2023 | Stony Brook University

Individual Excellence Awards

  • Graduate Student: Antonia Sora, Graduate Assistant at Hofstra University

  • New Professional: Michael Mohr, Stony Brook University

  • Mid-Level Professional: Michael Cavalli, Five Towns College

  • Senior-Level Professional: Nicole Sheehan, New York Institute of Technology

Innovation Award

  • Individual: Tadiyos Gebre, Director of Academic Success & Enrichment, New York Institute of Technology

Founder’s Award: Joanne West, New York Institute of Technology

Call for Award Nominations: LICSPA Conference 2023 | Adelphi University

Nominate a colleague for a LICSPA Award - all winners will be announced at the LICSPA Conference on November 9, 2023. In keeping with our theme: TransformED: Leading Today, Impacting Tomorrow, we are asking nominators to consider a colleague or program for the Innovation Award, Founders Award, and Individual Excellence Award.

Innovation Award seeks to recognize individuals or programs that have changed the landscape of higher education on campus. 

The Innovation Award reflects our region’s programs, initiatives, virtual engagement opportunities, or processes you’ve created, adapted, or expanded upon in the last year. We are asking nominators to give special consideration to one of both of the following prompts when nominating an initiative or program:

  • Programs that demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion, civic engagement and/or community activism

  • Initiatives that continued or expanded student engagement in new and creative ways

Please click HERE to submit your nomination

2023 LICSPA Founders Award honors the founding organizations and professionals of LICSPA for their commitment to collaboration and bringing together the Long Island region/NY Metropolitan areas of Higher Education. 

This award seeks to recognize individuals who encourage work between college campuses. Examples of this partnership can include webinars, socials, and professional development that have raised the bar on educational and student services to benefit the entire Long Island region/NY Metropolitan areas of the Higher Education Community.

Please click HERE to submit your nomination

Individual Excellence Award seeks colleagues who have gone above and beyond the call of duty, helped build bridges, showed empathy for students and colleagues, and is the epitome of professional excellence.  

 Individual Awards for each of the following:

  •   Individual Excellence - Graduate Student/Masters and or Doctorate

  •   Individual Excellence - New Professional - 1-5 Years

  •   Individual Excellence - Mid-Level - 5-10 Years

  •   Individual Excellence - Senior - 10+ Years

Please click HERE to submit your nomination

Nominations close Friday, October 6th, 2023, at 11:59 pm

Should you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch with us at conference@licspa.org. For more information on the upcoming conference, please visitwww.licspa.org.

November 11, 2022 | Stony Brook University

2022 Individual Excellence Awards

  • Graduate Student: Danielle Sconzo, Graduate Assistant for Fraternity & Sorority Life, Hofstra University

  • New Professional: Paul Ferrante, Assistant Director for Student Leadership & Engagement, Hofstra University

  • Mid-Level Professional: Stefano Caruso, Operations & Event Manager, Stony Brook University

  • Senior-Level Professional: Mercy Mathew, Assistant Director for Residential Life, SUNY Old Westbury

2022 Innovation Award

  • Individual: Tadiyos Gebre, Director of Academic Success & Enrichment, New York Institute of Technology

  • Program: Stony Brook University Division of Student Affairs Fellowship

2022 Founder’s Award

Wendi Mathews, Director of Student Accessibility Support Center, Stony Brook University

November 4, 2021 | Hosted Virtually

2021 Individual Excellence Awards

  • Graduate Student: Melissa Berman, Graduate Assistant for Spirit Support, Hofstra University

  • New Professional: Maria Moreno, Assistant Director for Student Leadership & Development, Manhattanville College

  • Mid-Level Professional: Ahmed Belazi, Director of Strategic Analytics & Technologies, Stony Brook University

  • Senior-Level Professional: Tiffani Blake, Assistant Provost for Student Engagement & Development, New York Institute of Technology

2021 Innovation Award

Center for Prevention & Outreach, Stony Brook University | Virtual Bystander Programs

2021 Founder’s Award

Joseph Vernace, Associate Dean of Students, Long Island University—Post Campus & 2021 LICSPA Vice President of Marketing & Communications