Across higher education, HR professionals are driving innovation and shaping stronger workplace cultures — whether by scaling AI initiatives, rethinking leadership development or creating programs that bring people together in new ways. The CUPA-HR Higher Education HR Awards program celebrates these efforts, recognizing individuals and institutions making a lasting impact and those who support the association through their service.
Here are our 2026 honorees.
Donald E. Dickason Award
This award, named for the association’s founder, is CUPA-HR’s highest honor and recognizes an individual for exceptional leadership and service to CUPA-HR.
Jami Painter
Jami Painter, senior associate vice president and chief human resources officer at the University of Illinois System, is a longtime member of CUPA-HR and served as chair of the Board of Directors during the 2023-24 fiscal year.
Prior to her election as chair of the board, she served in many association leadership roles, including at-large member of the CUPA-HR Board of Directors and the Illinois Chapter board; chair of the Public Policy Committee and the Learning and Professional Development Committee; and member of the Research Advisory Committee and the Budget and Finance Committee. Painter currently provides guidance and support to new CHROS as a Navigator for the CUPA-HR Navigators program.
Thanks to the generous support of award sponsor TIAA, CUPA-HR is pleased to offer an $8,000 contribution to the institution of Painter’s choice.
Distinguished Service Award
This award recognizes an individual for distinguished leadership and service to CUPA-HR.
Helena Rodrigues
Helena Rodrigues, chief human resources officer at the University of Arizona, has served in many CUPA-HR leadership positions, including president of the Arizona Chapter and at-large director for the CUPA-HR Board of Directors. She has also been a member of the Learning and Professional Development Committee and served as vice chair of both the Research Advisory and Creating Inclusive Communities Steering committees.
CUPA-HR is pleased to make a $4,000 contribution to an institution of Rodrigues’s choice.
Chief Executive HR Champion Award
Recognizing that what makes an institution great are its people, this award honors the president or chancellor of a higher ed institution or system who has demonstrated significant support for the institution’s HR work.
Dr. W. Kent Fuchs
Under the leadership of Dr. W. Kent Fuchs, president emeritus of the University of Florida, the university has made significant advancements in workforce development and employee well-being. President Fuchs strongly supported the adoption of a $15 per hour minimum wage, expansion of access to onsite employee mental health and well-being offerings, and the implementation of a robust paid medical and parental leave program. He has also been a champion for employee development, supporting the expansion of the Higher Education Opportunity dependent scholarship program for faculty and staff and investing in a comprehensive portfolio of leadership development programs.
President Fuchs’ leadership has been marked by a genuine commitment to a culture of care, opportunity and excellence. He views human resources as a strategic partner, reinforcing the belief that institutional success is achieved through collective effort.
Thanks to the generous support of award sponsor Segal, CUPA-HR is pleased to offer an $8,000 contribution to the University of Florida.
Workplace Excellence Award
This award recognizes and celebrates institutional initiatives and programs that have made a significant impact on institutional culture by improving employee access, opportunity and engagement.
Columbus State Community College
In 2024, the Columbus State HR team created the LeadSTRONG program to address identified leadership skill gaps. Guided by the theme “To be unclear is to be unkind; therefore, clarity equals kindness,” LeadSTRONG is designed to help supervisors lead with clarity, kindness, compassion, respect and trust. The nine-part, intensive leadership development program is mandatory for all campus leaders, with a total of 185 program graduates to date.
LeadSTRONG has contributed to a cohesive, intentional leadership culture, with supervisors at all levels practicing program principles. The program emphasizes investing in the well-being of employees, which has contributed to stronger team cultures and increased engagement in HR-led wellness and well-being activities. The program has also strengthened connections between departments, as leaders from across campus interact throughout the six-month program. To continue the impact of LeadSTRONG beyond each cohort’s experience, the HR team created LeadSTRONG Elevate, which provides campus leaders with the opportunity to gather for quarterly training sessions designed to facilitate continued learning and connection across business units.
Thanks to the generous support of EyeMed, CUPA-HR is pleased to offer a $5,000 contribution to the institution.
HR Innovation Award
The HR Innovation Award honors transformative thinking in higher education HR, recognizing a new and innovative HR team, project or program that resulted in significant and ongoing organizational change within an institution.
Auburn University
Created to address the challenges of AI adoption at Auburn University, the TIGER Tech Leaders program (Technology, Innovation, Growth, Efficiency and Results) seeks to transform AI implementation from siloed use to a campus-wide initiative focused on workforce development and change management. Led by Human Resource Development, the Biggio Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching, and the Office of Information Technology, the program provides robust training in AI literacy along with continued support through biweekly virtual check-ins focused on real-world application, peer learning and collective problem-solving. Initially launched as a Microsoft Copilot beta program consisting of approximately 100 participants, TIGER Tech Leaders has grown to over 860 participants with 98% reporting feeling empowered to support the university’s strategic goals of excellence and innovation through their use of AI in the workplace. The institution has also been recognized as a national Center of Excellence by Microsoft for its approach to AI adoption.
CUPA-HR is pleased to make a $5,000 contribution to Auburn University in recognition of the award.
Dallas College
As one of the largest higher education systems in Texas, Dallas College realized the need for a unified talent acquisition model that would support institutional success while being scalable across multiple campuses and aligned with institutional priorities. The new model was implemented in a phased approach that focused on a design-first transformation model to ensure that processes were standardized across all campuses before introducing technology. Once the foundations of the new model were solidified, technology innovations were introduced through governed AI-enhanced processes including interview scheduling and video assessments, in addition to an AI-enabled CRM platform that enhanced the hiring process for candidates, recruiters and hiring managers. As a result of these changes, the college has seen a 682% increase in candidate volume while simultaneously reclaiming over 10,000 hours of staff time. Dallas College’s new talent acquisition model has successfully transformed the hiring process from a reactive, transaction-based system into a key driver of institutional success.
CUPA-HR is pleased to make a $5,000 contribution to Dallas College in recognition of the award.
Higher Ed HR Rock Star Award
This award recognizes CUPA-HR members who are serving in the first five years of a higher education HR career and have already made a significant impact.
Emily Donnelly
Emily Donnelly, talent development specialist at Rutgers University-Camden, has made a significant impact on employee development at the institution. She has taken the initiative to engage with leadership teams and staff to design interactive professional development opportunities that address employee needs, offer practical application, and contribute to community-building. Donnelly has expanded learning opportunities for staff by establishing a recurring professional development calendar aligned to Rutgers competencies in addition to launching cross-divisional learning initiatives that bring together staff from across campus for professional development. She has revitalized the employee development experience through a combination of research-backed learning frameworks and engaging facilitation techniques, including storytelling, gamification and experiential learning. Her efforts have aided in positioning HR as a valued partner in employee growth, strengthened cross-departmental relationships, and increased staff engagement in professional development initiatives.
Carl Miron
Carl Miron, HR operations strategist for UNT Health, has demonstrated exceptional leadership in aligning HR’s practices with the unique needs of the organization. He has consistently taken the initiative to advance HR’s reputation within UNT Health through rebuilding strategic partnerships, enhancing performance management and leadership development practices, and implementing thoughtfully designed operational programs. Miron has created several performance management and leadership capacity courses, in addition to redesigning the new-hire orientation program to better connect new employees with the organization’s purpose. He has also implemented several surveys, including Voice of the Customer surveys that seek to elevate employee voices, and the 2025 Gallup Survey initiative.
Arnaldo Andre Molina
Arnaldo Andre Molina, business analyst, HRIS at the University of Tampa, has been a leader in transforming HR systems to support strategic decision-making. He led the implementation of the university’s merit process within Workday, and introduced advanced compensation functionality within the program, improving efficiency while supporting leaders in making more data-driven, equitable compensation decisions. Arnaldo has also taken the initiative to develop dashboards and enhanced reporting tools that convert system data into meaningful insights, supporting the university’s strategic initiatives and workforce planning efforts. He has become a trusted partner across the university, collaborating with other departments to understand organizational needs and develop innovative solutions.
National Chapter Excellence Award
This national award recognizes a chapter that is making a significant impact through its commitment to CUPA-HR and to the higher ed HR community.
CUPA-HR Northern New England Chapter
The Northern New England Chapter demonstrates its commitment to facilitating meaningful connections by hosting in-person and virtual events, including an annual fall conference and several webinars each year that regularly see attendance of 100+ people. The chapter also provides opportunities for connection and leadership development through participation in subcommittees, which serves to cultivate emerging leaders while leveraging the diverse skills and viewpoints of higher ed HR professionals across Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. CUPA-HR is pleased to award the Northern New England Chapter with the 2026 Chapter Excellence Award.
Do You Know Someone Doing Award-Worthy Work?
CUPA-HR invites nominations for the Higher Education HR Awards beginning in January each year. In addition to an engraved award and national recognition, some awards include a monetary contribution to the award recipient’s institution, made possible through the generous support of our award sponsors.