Donald E. Dickason Award

Sponsored by TIAA

Congratulations to our 2026 Donald E. Dickason Award recipient, Jami Painter!

CUPA-HR’s highest honor is named for the association’s founder. Established in 1970, this award recognizes an individual for exceptional leadership and service to CUPA-HR. Nominees for this award typically will have served in multiple CUPA-HR leadership roles, including one or more elected leadership roles at the national level. Through the generous support of TIAA, CUPA-HR will make a $8,000 contribution to the institution of the recipient’s choice.

Criteria

Distinguished and continuing service to CUPA-HR, including leadership in an elected national board position;
Significant contributions to the association in terms of new ideas, dedication and commitment;
Demonstrated leadership at all levels of the organization;
Excellence and professionalism in the field of higher education human resource administration;
Nominee’s institution is a member of CUPA-HR.

Eligibility Note: Individuals who are employed by the association, individuals who serve on the CUPA-HR national board of directors, and the institutions of those directors are not eligible to be nominated or selected for awards during their terms of service.

2026 Donald E. Dickason Award

Jami Painter, Senior Associate Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at the University of Illinois System and a past chair of the CUPA-HR Board of Directors, has received the 2026 Donald E. Dickason Award.

Nomination Guide

Use this guide to draft your nomination submission prior to entering the information in the online form. Once you have started a nomination, you can return to it at any time before the nomination submission deadline by going to the My Award Nominations page in your CUPA-HR account (please note, however, that the form cannot be saved mid-page). You can also edit a submitted nomination before the nomination submission deadline. Spelling/grammar checks are not available in the online form.

Nomination Guide Go to “My Award Nominations”

Past Recipients of the Donald E. Dickason Award

2025 – Jay Stephens, University of Montana
2024 – Jeff Herring, University of Utah
2023 – Susan Norton, University of Alabama
2022 – Marie Williams, Brown University
2021 – John Whelan, Indiana University
2020 – Donna Popovich, The University of Tampa
2019 – David Blake, California Western School of Law
2018 – Barbara Carroll, Vanderbilt University
2017 – Linda Lulli, Bryant University
2016 – Mark Coldren, University at Buffalo

2016 – Jane Federowicz, Rosemont College
2015 – Lynn Bynum, Bellarmine University
2014 – Lauren Turner, University of Massachusetts Lowell
2013 – Jack Giarusso, University of Massachusetts Lowell
2012 – Kirk Beyer, Gustavus Adolphus College
2011 – Allison Vaillancourt, The University of Arizona
2010 – Barbara Taylor, University of Arkansas
2009 – Stewart Mixon, Medical University of South Carolina
2008 – Ken Tagawa, University of Colorado Denver
2007 – Patti Couger, Texas A&M University System
2006 – John Toller, East Carolina University
2005 – Richard Gartrell, University of Denver
2004 – Andy Brantley, University of Georgia
2003 – Jackie McClain, California State University
2001 – C. Keith Groty, Michigan State University
2001 – Mary Ann Wersch, Reed College
2000 – Shari Andersen, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
1999 – Clifford Robinson, Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis
1998 – Barbara Butterfield, American InterContinental University
1997 – Clark England, Utah State University
1996 – Steve Otzenberger, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
1995 – Charlotte Fugett, University of Richmond

Higher Education HR Awards