NIRSA and the entire field of collegiate recreation are powered by the passion, drive, and dedication of truly exceptional individuals and institutions. Each year, NIRSA is proud to honor some of the most outstanding members through a variety of awards. While many of the 2025 award recipients were announced in advance of the 2025 NIRSA Conference, we’re excited to now introduce the newest group of honorees.
NIRSA proudly congratulates the recipients of the following awards:
Juliette Moore People of Color Distinguished Leadership Award
The Juliette Moore Distinguished Leadership Award honors individuals embodying the hard work and dedication required to build and sustain a diverse and inclusive community. Through their actions and example, these leaders set a standard of excellence to aspire to. The award was presented during the 2025 Founders People of Color Social, sponsored by PLAE and Life Fitness, on April 24.
Liz Henry, University of California – San Diego
Regional Awards of Merit
The NIRSA Regional Awards of Merit recognizes an outstanding professional from each NIRSA region who demonstrates exceptional performance and dedication to NIRSA and the field of collegiate recreation. These awards were presented during regional meetups held on April 25.
Region I
Stephanie Kloos Smith, MIT
Region II
Mila L. Padgett, University of South Carolina Aiken
Region III
James S. Koeppe, University of Illinois Springfield
Region IV
Kim Scott, Ph.D., Baylor University
Region V
Adam J. Walsh, University of Iowa
Region VI
Liz Henry, University of California – San Diego
Canadian Region
Bjorn Billehaug, Mount Royal University
Sarah Fain Distinguished Service Award
The Sarah Fain Distinguished Service Award celebrates the dedication of a NIRSA Championship Series volunteer who embodies the spirit of Sarah Fain through years of committed service to the NIRSA Championship Series and its tournaments.
The award honors an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership in the development of NIRSA programs, policies, events, special projects, or committees. The award was presented at the Champ Series Thank You Social on April 25.
Jacob Tingle, Trinity University
Once Again, congratulations to all this year’s NIRSA award recipients-true leaders in collegiate recreation! The full list of 2025 award recipients will soon be added to the historical list of recipients on the individual award pages of the NIRSA website.
- For more information about NIRSA Awards, contact NIRSA Member Engagement Manager, Natasha Fischer.
Natasha Fischer is currently the Member Engagement Manager at NIRSA.
