For the first time, the Commission for Spirituality, Faith, Religion & Meaning will be honoring winners of two awards: Outstanding Research and Outstanding Program. After receiving nominations regarding several deserving pieces of research and practice, we are pleased to honor Dr. Alyssa Bryant Rockenbach of North Carolina State University with the award of Outstanding Research and Hillel's Ask Big Questions with the award of Outstanding Program. This is what the nominators of these honorees had to say about them:
"Dr. Rockenbach has dedicated her career to exploring issues of religion, spirituality, and worldview among college students. This line of research has resulted in 25 peer-reviewed journal articles, along with several chapters and an edited book... Her research has used both quantitative and qualitative methods to explore the nature of and changes in students' spirituality, religion, and worldview at religiously affiliated and nonsectarian institutions. Dr. Rockenbach's work has resulted to a close relationship with the Interfaith Youth Core through which she is leading national studies that explore these issues." - Dr. Nicholas A. Bowman, Bowling Green State University
"The need for community is one all of us in student life aim to respond to. And while there are many factors that go into building stronger campus communities that can support our students, I believe that Ask Big Questions has hit on one of the most important, and frequently overlooked: We need to model, and to teach, a better way to ask questions... By focusing on questions that matter to everyone and that everyone can answer, and by developing a methodology and resources that are accessible, usable, and meaningful, Ask Big Questions enables our students, faculty, and staff to have better conversations—conversations characterized by listening, understanding of self and others, and empathy." - Lucy Fromowitz, University of Toronto
Dr. Rockenbach and Ask Big Questions will receive their awards during ACPA Convention 2015. Congratulations!