BOONE, N.C. — Dr. Sonja Ardoin, assistant professor of student affairs administration in Appalachian State University’s Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling, which is housed in the Reich College of Education (RCOE), has been recognized with national awards for her scholarship, teaching and service in higher education, and her outstanding commitment to the field of student affairs.

She is the recipient of a 2019–21 American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Emerging Scholar Award, and the 2019 Socioeconomic and Class Issues in Higher Education Knowledge Community (SCIHE KC) Outstanding Service to National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Award.

Her research focuses on four areas:

• Social class identity in higher education.
• College access and success for first-generation college students and students from rural areas.
• Career preparation and pathways for higher education and student affairs.
• Student and women’s leadership.

“Dr. Ardoin is a dedicated, early-career professional who is advancing the field of student affairs administration through her research and scholarly endeavors,” said Dr. Melba Spooner, dean of the RCOE. “She is engaging in critical work that will produce transformational change related to college access and success, particularly for first-generation college students.”

Ardoin received the Emerging Scholar Award earlier this month at the ACPA 2019 Boston Convention, and she will receive the SCIHE KC Outstanding Service to NASPA Award at the 2019 NASPA Annual Conference in Los Angeles (March 9–13).

About the awards

2019–21 ACPA Emerging Scholar Award

The Emerging Scholars Program, which the ACPA Senior Scholars implemented in 1999, supports, encourages and honors early-career individuals who are emerging as contributors to student affairs and higher education scholarship, and who are pursuing research initiatives congruent with the mission, interests and strategic goals of ACPA. Being named an ACPA Emerging Scholar is one of the most prestigious recognitions for early-career scholars in the field.

Emerging Scholar participants each receive a $3,000 research grant from ACPA and commit to ongoing engagement in research and scholarship as well as conference attendance. In the first year of the program, Emerging Scholars participate in a half-day research institute prior to the beginning of the ACPA convention.

At the ACPA convention during their second year of the program, Emerging Scholars present their research at a dedicated research symposium session. Additionally, participants must choose and complete at least three scholarly leadership commitments by the end of their two-year term.

Through this program, Ardoin — who the ACPA has recognized for her contributions to scholarship, teaching and service — will conduct a new phenomenological research project to explore how and in what ways social class identity and classism show up in and influence higher education and student affairs experiences.

She will also serve ACPA in several different capacities, including reviewing manuscripts for the Journal of College Student Development; facilitating professional development sessions in person at conferences or online through webinars; and serving as a scholar-in-residence for a commission or coalition group.

2019 SCIHE KC Outstanding Service to NASPA Award

The 2019 SCIHE KC Outstanding Service to NASPA Award is given annually by NASPA’s Socioeconomic and Class Issues in Higher Education Knowledge Community in recognition of outstanding dedication to NASPA and/or to the Knowledge Community.

The award recognizes a professional in higher education or a student affairs-related field who demonstrates an outstanding commitment to the field of student affairs through involvement in professional associations (local, regional and/or national), committees, conferences and/or graduate program recruitment. The recipient must be an active NASPA member.

NASPA has recognized Ardoin for her specific contributions in co-creating the KC’s Professionals from the Poor and Working Class group within the committee and serving as its co-coordinator for four years, as well as for her current role as the KC’s co-coordinator for research.

She also serves the broader NASPA organization as an advocacy group member for the Center for First-generation Student Success, a consistent regional and national conference presenter, and an editorial board member for the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, one of the organization’s academic journals.

About Dr. Sonja Ardoin

Ardoin, an award-winning teacher and a consistent volunteer with numerous national organizations, comes to Appalachian from Boston University, where she served as a program director and clinical assistant professor of higher education.

She earned a Ph.D. in educational research and policy analysis from North Carolina State University, an M.S. in higher education and student affairs from Florida State University and a B.S. in secondary education from Louisiana State University. She joined the RCOE faculty in 2018.

Ardoin has published two single-authored books in four years and has a co-authored book to be released in April. Additionally, she has authored multiple book chapters and journal articles, presented over 120 refereed conference presentations and has had her work featured in media outlets such as NPR, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed and The Hechinger Report.

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National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA)

The National Association of Student (NASPA) was founded in 1918 and is one of the leading associations for the advancement, health and sustainability of the student affairs profession. Their work provides high-quality professional development, advocacy and research for 15,000 members in all 50 states, 25 countries and eight U.S. territories.

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American College Personnel Association (ACPA)

The American College Personnel Association (ACPA), headquartered in Washington, D.C. at the National Center for Higher Education, is the leading comprehensive student affairs association that advances student affairs and engages students for a lifetime of learning and discovery.

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About the Reich College of Education

Appalachian State University offers one of the largest undergraduate teacher preparation programs in North Carolina, graduating about 500 teachers a year. The Reich College of Education enrolls more than 2,000 students in its bachelor’s, master’s, education specialist and doctoral degree programs, with offerings that span multiple fields — from teacher preparation, counseling, and therapy, to higher education, school and student affairs administration, library science, educational leadership and more. With over 10,000 alumni employed in North Carolina public schools, there is at least one Reich College graduate in every county in the state. Learn more at https://rcoe.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.