CAN Awards

Congratulations to the 2024 CAN Award Recipients!

Coming Soon: 2025 CAN Award Nominations

In order to recognize the outstanding work being done by our colleagues, the College Autism Network seeks nominations for our annual College Autism Network Excellence in Autism Practice and Research Awards. Nominations may be submitted by colleagues, though self-nominations will also be accepted. Recipients will be recognized at the 2025 College Autism Summit.

Deadline for nominations: Coming Soon!

Recipients will be notified by Coming Soon

This Year’s Awards Are:

- - Outstanding College Autism Support Program
- - Outstanding Neurodiversity Workplace Initiative
- Dr. Brad J. Cox Outstanding Research on Autism in Higher Education

Award Descriptions

Outstanding Autism Support Program

This award is given to a campus-based support program or initiative that has demonstrated excellence in implementation of evidence-guided practices. These may include some or all of the following:

- - Individual practices, clusters or combination of activities
- - Programs or initiatives that focus on autistic students directly, neurotypical students/peers or faculty/staff in relation to autistic students, or relevant to/about other key stakeholders
- - Program may be longstanding or newly-created
- Program may be implemented by campus-based units, departments, or other programs, or may be initiated by independent entities that focus on college students and the higher education setting

Outstanding Neurodiversity Workplace Initiative

This award is given to an employer who has established a workplace initiative that recruits and supports autistic and other neurodivergent employees and encourages professional growth and advancement. These may include some or all of the following:

- - Support of, and connection to, campus resources and initiatives
- - Effective recruiting of neurodivergent applicants
- - Outreach and education to all employees about neurodiversity
- Initiatives, policies and processes that demonstrate ongoing support of, and attention to, neurodivergent employees in their professional growth and advancement

Dr. Brad J. Cox Outstanding Research on Autism in Higher Education

Named after CAN’s founder, Dr. Brad J. Cox, a researcher whose focus is on autism in higher education, this award is given to an individual (or research team) who has, in the previous year (2020), produced original scholarship advancing research, policy, and/or practice in ways that facilitate college success for autistic students. Such scholarship may include any/all of the following:

- - Journal articles
- - Project reports
- - Books
- Research briefs

CAN Contributor of the Year

This award is given to an individual whose contributions to the College Autism Network, its members, and its mission, has been outstanding during the previous year. This award is selected by the CAN leadership team and nominations are not accepted. Contributions may include:

- - Presentations at College Autism Summit or other event
- - Consultations with other campuses
- - Contributions to CAN’s mission to support autistic college students and the professionals who work with them
- Engagement and/or service in CAN programming, including CANVAS, Program Director Calls, Summit planning

- - - - Outstanding Autism Support Program: Dub-C Autism Program (D-CAP) at West Chester Univeristy
    - - Outstanding Neurodiversity Workplace Initiative: Neurodiversity@Dell Technologies
    - - Outstanding Research on Autism in Higher Education: Dr. Kristen Gillespie Lynch, College of Staten Island and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York
    - CAN Contributor of the Year: Karen Krainz Edison, Nisonger Center, The Ohio State University
    2023
    - - Outstanding Autism Support Program: Marshall University’s College Program for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
      - Outstanding Neurodiversity Workplace Initiative: Wells Fargo’s Neurodiversity Program
      - Outstanding Research on Autism in Higher Education: Drs. Jodi Duke, Morgan Strimel, and Grace Francis – George Mason University
      - CAN Contributor of the Year: Dr. Laurie Ackles – Washington Neurodiversity Project
    2022
    - - Outstanding Autism Support Program: Mosaic Program – University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
      - Outstanding Neurodiversity Workplace Initiative: Neurodiversity@IBM
      - Outstanding Research on Autism in Higher Education: Dr. Kathleen Viezel – Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Metropolitan Campus
      - CAN Contributor of the Year: Katie Tobin McDermott
    2021
    - - Outstanding Autism College Support Program: AIMS Program – Mercyhurst University
      - Outstanding Research on Autism in Higher Education: Jessica Monahan, Ph.D. – University of Delaware
      - Outstanding Neurodiversity Workplace Initiative: JP Morgan Chase & Co.
      - CAN Contributor of the Year: Jane Thierfeld Brown – Founder and Director of College Autism Spectrum

Past Recipients

2024

- - - - Outstanding Autism Support Program: Dub-C Autism Program (D-CAP) at West Chester Univeristy
    - - Outstanding Neurodiversity Workplace Initiative: Neurodiversity@Dell Technologies
    - - Outstanding Research on Autism in Higher Education: Dr. Kristen Gillespie Lynch, College of Staten Island and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York
    - CAN Contributor of the Year: Karen Krainz Edison, Nisonger Center, The Ohio State University
    2023
    - - Outstanding Autism Support Program: Marshall University’s College Program for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
      - Outstanding Neurodiversity Workplace Initiative: Wells Fargo’s Neurodiversity Program
      - Outstanding Research on Autism in Higher Education: Drs. Jodi Duke, Morgan Strimel, and Grace Francis – George Mason University
      - CAN Contributor of the Year: Dr. Laurie Ackles – Washington Neurodiversity Project
    2022
    - - Outstanding Autism Support Program: Mosaic Program – University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
      - Outstanding Neurodiversity Workplace Initiative: Neurodiversity@IBM
      - Outstanding Research on Autism in Higher Education: Dr. Kathleen Viezel – Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Metropolitan Campus
      - CAN Contributor of the Year: Katie Tobin McDermott
    2021
    - - Outstanding Autism College Support Program: AIMS Program – Mercyhurst University
      - Outstanding Research on Autism in Higher Education: Jessica Monahan, Ph.D. – University of Delaware
      - Outstanding Neurodiversity Workplace Initiative: JP Morgan Chase & Co.
      - CAN Contributor of the Year: Jane Thierfeld Brown – Founder and Director of College Autism Spectrum

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