ALE Annual Awards

ALE Annual Awards nominations are NOW OPEN!. Please review the types of awards and criteria below, and consider nominating a deserving ALE member!

Through generous contributions from Dr. Peter Northouse and SAGE Publishing, the Outstanding Teaching and Outstanding Scholar awards now include a $500 honorarium and have been named in recognition of their support to the association and contributions to the field. The ALE Distinguished Leadership & Service Award, ALE Rising Star Award, and Robin Orr Outstanding Practitioner Award include a $500 honorarium from ALE. 

Please click on the awards title to read the full description of the purpose, eligibility, application requirements and instructions for nominations. All nominees must be current ALE members in good standing.

This award recognizes an experienced ALE member whose leadership and service upholds and embodies the association's mission: to strengthen and sustain the expertise of professional leadership educators.

ALE Rising Star: Early Career Leadership & Service Award
This award recognizes an early career ALE member whose leadership and service upholds and embodies the association's mission: to strengthen and sustain the expertise of professional leadership educators. 

This award recognizes a distinguished practitioner for their significant accomplishments and contributions to leadership education and related fields. For the purpose of this award, a practitioner may include student affairs professionals, administrators, trainers, extension specialists, community leadership, military service or those holding other primarily non-teaching roles. 

The Founder's Student Scholar Award

ALE recognizes the importance of student involvement in growing the discipline of ALE. This award supports conference participation for up to four graduate and undergraduate student presenters. 

Peter Northouse Outstanding Teaching Award

This award, sponsored by Dr. Peter Northouse, recognizes an ALE member for their contribution to advancing leadership education through outstanding teaching and learning. 

SAGE Outstanding Scholar Award

This award, sponsored by SAGE Publishing, recognizes an ALE member for their contribution to advancing leadership education through their scholarship. This may include various forms of publication, presentations, and other scholarly works that advance leadership education teaching, research, and practice. 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program Award

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award honors programs using a comprehensive lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion to inform their approach to leadership education. The award will be issued to a group (department, unit, program, organization, or institution).

ALE Outstanding Program Award
This award is designed to recognize outstanding leadership programs developed or implemented by leadership educators. Two awards will be given in this category; one for a program that has the primary purpose of academic credit, and another for a program that has the primary purpose for an out-of-classroom experience. 

NEW in 2025! Outstanding Dissertation Award
This award recognizes the outstanding work that leadership scholars through research and practice. This award is open to individuals who have successfully defended and officially deposited their dissertations in the previous 18 months.

Note: Awards are considered a membership benefit and only current, dues-paid members are eligible to be nominated for these awards.

Past Recipients