NCCI’s vision is to function as a catalyst for higher education institutions to work collaboratively across institutions to employ effective methods to advance academic and administrative excellence.
To help carry out that purpose, we identify leaders of change throughout higher education to recognize them for their accomplishments and to help link them with their peers to further leverage the impact of their good work.
Each of our institutions of higher education has leaders of change, but given the diversity of roles that these leaders play in our institutions, they often go unrecognized. The Maury Cotter Leader of Change (MCLOC) Award identifies and celebrates these exceptional individuals whose efforts have resulted in significant impact in their institutions and beyond. Nominations are due by April 24, 2025.
A Maury Cotter Leader of Change is an individual who has played a key role in advancing major change in higher education in academic and/or administrative areas. We are looking to recognize individuals who:
- Have led change and innovation
- Demonstrated outcomes and impact of those changes for the nominee’s organization
- Shared or leveraged change beyond their own organization
- Had outcomes/impact that have been realized by others as a result of that sharing
- Fostered a culture of innovation and collaboration
The recipient will be notified in May 2025.
An email will be sent to the nominator to confirm the submission was received. A committee, composed of NCCI volunteers, will review materials to make a selection. One recipient will be chosen and notified in late May. One physical award will be given to the recipient, who will be recognized at the Annual Conference and in subsequent publications.
Award Recipients
In 2022, Charlene launched AvenueM, a groundbreaking program designed to empower aspiring medical students on their journey from community college to medical school. AvenueM aims to provide support and mentorship to students from all communities that have been historically excluded in medicine to become physicians. UC Davis School of Medicine partnered with three 4-year institutions and a network of community colleges feeding into them to establish this robust educational ecosystem. Charlene and her team were able to secure a $1.8 million grant to create a robust pre-med pathway for community college students.
2023 Recipient
- Andrew Muffett, Director of Strategic Operations, IvyTech Community College
2022 Recipient
- Anna Bordering, Associate Director of Operational Excellence for Facilities & Operations, University of Maryland Baltimore
2021 Recipient
- Tina Pappas, Head of Discovery and Engagement Platforms, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2022 Recipient
- Robert Neuhard, Executive Director, Office of Operational Strategic Initiatives, University of California–San Diego
2019 Recipient
- Dr. Timothy Renick, Senior Vice President for Student Success,
Georgia State University
2018 Recipient
- Jake Julia, Vice Provost of Administration and Chief of Staff, Northwestern University
2017 Recipients
- Joy Gates-Black, President, Delaware County Community College
- Paula Gill, Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness, Belmont University
2016 Recipients
- Susan Camber, Associate Vice President, Research & Student Accounting, University of Washington
- Carol Mullaney, Director, Office of Continuous Improvement, University of Notre Dame
- Cathy O’Sullivan, Chief of Staff to the COO, Director, Working Smarter Initiative, University of California System
- Katy Rees, Associate Vice President of Administration, California State University–San Marcos
2015 Recipients
- Sarah Collie, Assistant Vice President for Organizational Excellence, University of Virginia
- Catherine (Kate) Davy, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, University of Michigan–Dearborn
2014 Recipients
- Deborah Ford, Chancellor, University of Wisconsin–Parkside
- Peter C. (Chris) Halladay, Associate Vice President for Organizational Effectiveness, Cornell University
- Peggy Huston, Director of Operational Excellence Program, University of California–Berkeley