OGSPS Outstanding Graduate Coordinator Award

Do you have a graduate coordinator, graduate contact, graduate program specialist, or any other graduate support personnel in your area or department who does outstanding work and provides excellent service to graduate education?  If so, please continue reading for details on the Outstanding Graduate Coordinator Award.

Spring 2026 Nomination Deadline: February 13, 2026 at 11:59 PM.

The Outstanding Graduate Coordinator Award recognizes the exemplary service of a graduate coordinator, graduate contact, graduate program specialist, or any other graduate support personnel. Selection is based on the nominee’s invaluable service to the university and its community of students, faculty, and staff.

Recipients of the award receive a plaque and a $1,000 honorarium. The award recipient will be announced on social media, the OGSPS website and will be invited to the annual spring OGSPS awards reception on April 23, 2026. 

Eligibility

Nominees must be currently employed by Purdue University as a graduate coordinator, contact, specialist or in a graduate administrative role for three years, as of January 1, of the current academic year to be eligible. Past recipients of the award are eligible for nomination if five or more years have elapsed since they received the award. 

Award Selection Criteria

Recipients of the Outstanding Graduate Coordinator Award are selected based upon the following award criteria.

• The nominee’s ability to work as an effective advocate for graduate students and graduate causes in the program.
• The nominee’s availability/accessibility to graduate students.
• The nominee’s ability to work as an effective liaison between graduate students and the graduate student’s adviser, and between the graduate program and OGSPS.
• The nominee’s effectiveness in helping students become aware of and follow rules and regulations governing graduate degrees.
• The nominee’s record of preventing as well as resolving problems.
• The nominee’s ability to carry-out administrative functions effectively and efficiently.
• The nominee’s skill in organization and communication.
• The nominee’s record of working with other graduate coordinators and graduate advisers to promote a more efficient and effective administration of the graduate program.

Nominations

Nominations must provide specific examples of the award criteria and may be initiated by academic deans, department heads, department chairs, program directors or graduate faculty advisors.

Use this Nomination Form to submit a Purdue graduate coordinator for consideration.

The following information will be needed to complete the online nomination form.

• A nomination letter from the academic deans, department heads, department chairs, program directors or graduate faculty advisors briefly describing why this individual is being nominated.
• Three to five letters of support, one of which must be a letter from a current or former student. Other letters may be written by faculty, staff, or others familiar with the nominee’s administrative record.
• Graduate program materials relevant to the nomination, including information describing the nominee’s role in the production or development of projects, initiatives, and achievements relevant to the graduate program (e.g., conceptualization, design, writing, editing, etc.)
• Please save the file in the following format Nominee’s Last Name_Firstname.pdf
• The nominee’s dates of service as a graduate coordinator, graduate contact, graduate program specialist or any other graduate support personnel.

Past Recipients

2023 – Shauna Stapleton – Public Health

2024 – Nikki Zimmerman – Agriculture and Biological Engineering

2025 – Sheri Tague – Mechanical Engineering